A former Metropolitan Police worker from Abbots Langley has avoided a prison sentence despite discussing the sexual abuse of children on social media.
Matthew Seekings, 46, a former control room supervisor in Hendon, spoke with several others, including co-defendant Michael Kent, 58, about sexually abusing children.
During their conversations on X, formerly known as Twitter, around 4,000 indecent images of children were shared between April 2015 and June 2021.
Prosecutor Timothy Harrington said their conversations were “shocking, repulsive and alarming” and also included “vile” racism about black children, as well as claims they had themselves committed sexual offences against children.
X alerted the National Crime Agency (NCA) to the conversations, and Seekings and Kent were arrested.
At Birmingham Crown Court in June this year, Seekings pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article. Kent pleaded guilty to six offences related to indecent or prohibited images of children.
The pair appeared before a judge on September 13 and received a three-year Community Order, 150 hours of unpaid work, a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and were placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
Holly Triggs, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “Behind every image viewed by Seekings and Kent is a child whose life has been devastated by abhorrent sexual abuse.
“Seekings was accessing these materials while in a policing role in which he was entrusted to protect the public, yet his fantasies fuelled the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children.
“We remain as committed as ever to ensure those who pose a sexual threat to children, whether on or offline, have their day in court to face justice.”
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