Phil Richardson

A former police officer from March, Cambridgeshire, has admitted to serious offences involving indecent images of children. Phil Richardson, aged 49, who was previously employed by Cambridgeshire Police and served as a scout leader, appeared before Luton Magistrates' Court on 21 November 2019, where he entered guilty pleas to multiple counts related to child sexual abuse material.

Richardson, who had been a designated police licensing officer for Fenland and also worked as a firefighter in the Royal Air Force, was arrested in May 2019. Following his arrest, he was sacked by Cambridgeshire Police in July 2019. The charges he admitted include three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child. These admissions mark a significant fall from grace for Richardson, who was known in the community as an active neighbourhood police officer and long-time leader of the 2nd March Saxons scout group since 1992.

During his court appearance, Richardson was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Luton Crown Court on 13 December 2019 for sentencing. The case highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat the production and distribution of child sexual abuse imagery. Cambridgeshire Police, the force that employed and subsequently dismissed Richardson, has not released further details on the investigation at this stage, but the guilty pleas indicate substantial evidence was gathered.

Prior to his dismissal, Richardson was involved in various community policing activities, including handling licensing cases such as an investigation into the Europa store in Broad Street, March, for allegedly selling illegal tobacco products to children in 2017. His dual roles in law enforcement and youth leadership underscore the breach of trust in this matter. The court proceedings were reported by local journalist Sarah Cliss for the Fenland Citizen, emphasising the impact on the March community where Richardson was a familiar figure.