Leigh Morris

A Thames Valley Police officer, PC Leigh Morris, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison following the discovery of hundreds of 'horrendous' child sex abuse images on his personal devices. The 31-year-old, based in Milton Keynes, was arrested by his own colleagues at his home after investigations revealed the extent of his illegal activities.

Morris admitted to three counts of downloading indecent photographs of a child, one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image, and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child. The images, totalling 461, were categorised with 131 at the most serious Category A level, 217 at Category B, and 113 at Category C. Prosecuting barrister Douglas Page described the material as consisting of a range of videos and still photographs, some depicting the most severe forms of abuse involving children as young as three years old, including one image of a baby.

• The images were found on Morris's computers and mobile phone during a search of his home in Milton Keynes.
• He had attempted to conceal his actions by using software to cover up his online activities.
• Some of the content involved extreme abuse, highlighting the vulnerability of the child victims.

At Luton Crown Court, Judge Michael Kay QC addressed Morris directly, stating: 'The images are horrendous. I have heard a lot about you. What one doesn't hear on these occasions is the position of each one of the children in those images. Each one of those children is a victim and has been abused.' The judge emphasised the profound impact on the victims, underscoring the gravity of the offences.

In mitigation, defending barrister Cameron Scott noted that Morris was deeply ashamed of his behaviour. Scott highlighted that Morris had self-funded a rehabilitation course with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity specialising in supporting internet offenders. He also mentioned the personal consequences, including damage to his family relationships and the loss of his job as a police officer.

Following his guilty pleas, Morris was dismissed from Thames Valley Police without notice after a special case misconduct hearing. Deputy Chief Constable John Campbell expressed profound disappointment, saying: 'I am always deeply disappointed to hear of a criminal offence being committed by a police officer. This undermines the confidence that members of the public should rightly have in the police service.' As part of his sentence, Morris must register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his future behaviour and protect the public.

The case, reported by the BBC and sourced from court proceedings at Luton Crown Court, serves as a stark reminder of the trust placed in law enforcement officers and the severe repercussions for those who betray it through such serious sexual offences.