Thomas Kettleborough

Thomas Kettleborough, a 35-year-old former inspector with Avon and Somerset Police from Weston-super-Mare, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for a series of child sex offences. The case came to light following his arrest in July 2023 by officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) during a sting operation on a dating platform.

Kettleborough was apprehended in a Bristol car park where he had arrived intending to meet someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy for sexual purposes. Upon searching his vehicle, authorities discovered a bag containing sex toys and limb restraints, which he admitted keeping there to conceal his 'clandestine activities' from others at home. Examination of his phone and computer revealed further evidence of his offending, including communications via Snapchat under usernames such as L S, Liamss5506, and Liam.

At Exeter Crown Court on 3 April 2025, Kettleborough pleaded guilty to several charges: arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and four counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child. Investigations uncovered that he had used Snapchat to sexually communicate with at least one boy and had amassed more than 150 indecent images of children over a four-year period.

The court heard that Kettleborough's actions had a profound impact on his victims. In a statement read during the sentencing, the mother of one victim expressed: 'I now live every day in fear for my children’s safety and the guilt I feel as a parent that I couldn’t protect my child has eaten away at me. The reality is, it isn’t my son’s fault or anything I did or didn’t do as a parent. My son is a victim. It has affected the whole family more than I can ever explain, but I am so proud that my son had the strength and courage to come forward.' Judge Stephen Climie noted Kettleborough's own history of abuse, stating that he was just 13 when he suffered physical and sexual abuse by a male unrelated to his family, and that traumatic incidents during his police career had 'diverted him from his positive background'. His defence barrister, Mr Lee Bremridge, added that the abuse 'shaped his childhood and adult life' and impacted his mental health.

Detective Inspector Dave Wells, who led the investigation, commented: 'The serious sexual offences against children that he’s been convicted of span a period of four years. Thomas Kettleborough was in a position of trust at the time, both as a police officer and as a volunteer for the Sea Cadets and the Royal Lifesaving Society, however he concealed his true identity through an online persona.' Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall of Avon and Somerset Police described the offences as 'vile and manipulative', emphasising the force's commitment to child safety. Kettleborough, who was sacked from the police, has been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register and subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that none of the charges related to his involvement with the Royal Lifesaving Society or the Royal Marine Cadets.