Richard Cammidge

A former Humberside Police officer, Richard Cammidge, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for committing abhorrent child sex crimes. The 41-year-old from Bridlington was arrested and suspended from his duties in November 2021 following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a child.

During the investigation, devices seized from Cammidge's home revealed that he had been exchanging sexual messages with a child. Authorities also discovered an indecent photograph of a child on one of the devices. Cammidge pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court to charges of engaging in sexual communications with a child, attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, and making an indecent photograph of a child. Additionally, he admitted to failing to disclose the key to protected information by refusing to provide the PIN to unlock his mobile phone, which hindered the police investigation.

The court imposed a sexual harm prevention order on Cammidge alongside his custodial sentence. Following his guilty pleas, Cammidge resigned from Humberside Police before a misconduct hearing could take place. The College of Policing has since barred him from ever serving as an officer again.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson of Humberside Police condemned Cammidge's actions, stating: "Any sexual offence committed against another person is horrifying, but committing these abhorrent crimes as a police officer and against a child is absolutely deplorable." He further emphasised the force's commitment to rooting out criminality within its ranks, saying: "We will not allow those that bring policing into disrepute... to be in policing or to get away with any form of criminality."

The case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) by Humberside Police. IOPC Director of Major Investigations Steve Noonan described Cammidge's behaviour as abhorrent, noting: "PC Cammidge’s actions were abhorrent in sexually communicating with someone he believed to be a child on numerous occasions. His refusal to allow investigators access to his iPhone, despite being required to do so by law, shows how he tried to disrupt the investigation and evade facing consequences for his actions." This sentencing underscores the severe consequences for those in positions of trust who perpetrate such offences.