Paedophile transport police officer snared by one of his own after striking up sexual chat with 'girl', 12, asking her to send intimate pictures of herself

By Steve Deeks
Published 15th Dec 2022, 20:46 BST
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A PAEDOPHILE police officer was snared by one of his own after striking up an online sexual conversation with a 12-year-old girl – asking her to send intimate pictures of herself to him.

Pervert police sergeant James Chatfield, 36, a serving British Transport Police officer based in London, pretended to be aged 17 when chatting to the girl, a court heard. Chatfield was using Snapchat and Chat Avenue when he began conversations with the child before asking her to send intimate photos of herself to him.

Following an investigation by BTP’s Professional Standards Department, the disgraced officer pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child after he was caught chatting to the child on September 23 and 26.

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Statue of Lady Justice atop the Central Criminal Court building at the Old Bailey, London. Plans to see serious violent and sexual offenders spend longer behind bars by scrapping automatic release half-way through a jail sentence are to be debated by MPs. Pic PAStatue of Lady Justice atop the Central Criminal Court building at the Old Bailey, London. Plans to see serious violent and sexual offenders spend longer behind bars by scrapping automatic release half-way through a jail sentence are to be debated by MPs. Pic PA
Statue of Lady Justice atop the Central Criminal Court building at the Old Bailey, London. Plans to see serious violent and sexual offenders spend longer behind bars by scrapping automatic release half-way through a jail sentence are to be debated by MPs. Pic PA

But the person he was talking to was actually an undercover police officer who reported the incidents to BTP’s Professional Standards Department after enquiries on his IP address revealed he was a police officer. A judge at Inner London Crown Court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months and handed him a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Deputy chief constable Alistair Sutherland said: ‘As police officers it is our overriding duty to protect the public and particularly the vulnerable from harm, so it is profoundly disturbing to know that a serving officer could ever consider exploiting a child for their own sexual gain. I speak for everyone at British Transport Police when I say we are all truly shocked and appalled by the actions of James Chatfield.

‘He does not represent our values and his fast track disciplinary proceedings will be taking place as soon as practicably possible in the New Year. It is thanks to the swift and thorough investigation by our Professional Standards Department, working with South Wales Police, that Chatfield was arrested, charged, and sentenced within less than three months of these abhorrent offences.’

Detective inspector Mathew Davies, of Tarian, the regional organise crime unit for southern Wales, said: ‘We will proactively pursue anyone who has a sexualised interest in children, irrespective of their profession. This case was particularly concerning as Chatfield posed as a 17-year-old boy, within a teen chat group and had actively targeted a girl he believed was 12 years old.’