Darren O’Connor

A former Warwickshire Police Special Inspector, Darren O’Connor, has been sentenced to two years and two months in prison for possessing and distributing indecent images of children. The offences, described by the court as 'morally reprehensible', took place between August 2021 and January 2023 at his home in Coventry.

O’Connor pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. Detectives from West Midlands Police executed a warrant at his Coventry residence in January 2023, seizing equipment that revealed 1,033 indecent images stored on two mobile phones. Of these, 372 were classified as category A, the most severe category. Following his initial arrest, O’Connor refused to comment, but in a re-interview in November 2023, he admitted responsibility for downloading the images.

In addition to his custodial sentence, O’Connor was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and was made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He resigned from his position at Nuneaton Police Station after his arrest, and an accelerated gross misconduct hearing by Warwickshire Police in May 2024 determined that he would have been dismissed for breaching standards of professional behaviour.

Det Supt Paul Thompson, Head of Professional Standards at Warwickshire Police, commented: “As a serving special constable, O’Connor would have understood what he was doing was wrong. He has committed very serious criminal offences. This wasn’t a one-off event, he was downloading and distributing images over a sustained period. His acts were deliberate, unlawful, and morally reprehensible. O’Connor brings the profession into disrepute and damages the confidence the public has in police officers.” The force welcomed the conviction, emphasising their commitment to bringing such offenders to justice.

The case was reported by The Rugby Observer on 16th August 2024, highlighting the severity of the breach of trust by a former police officer.