Ex-Warwickshire Police Special Inspector jailed for possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children

Darren O’Connor stored the images on two mobile phones.

Detectives from West Midlands police found the images after seizing equipment when they executed a warrant at his Coventry home in January 2023.

The court heard he had 1,033 images including 372 rated category A, the most serious type. These were stored on two mobile phones.

Following his arrest O’Connor refused to comment in interview but when reinterviewed in November 2023 he admitted being responsible for downloading the content.

O’Connor, who was based at Nuneaton Police Station, resigned from his position following his arrest.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. The offences occurred between August 2021 and January 2023.

At Warwick Crown Court last week, O’Connor was jailed for 26 months, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

An accelerated gross misconduct hearing held by the force in May found that O’Connor would have been dismissed had he not previously resigned having breached standards of professional behaviour, specifically discreditable conduct.

Detective Superintendent Paul Thompson, head of professional standards at Warwickshire Police, said: “This wasn’t a one-off event, he was downloading and distributing images over a sustained period.

"As a serving special constable, O’Connor would have understood what he was doing was wrong. He has committed a very serious criminal offences. His acts were deliberate, unforced, and unlawful, and morally reprehensible.

"O’Connor brings the profession into disrepute and damages the confidence the public has in police officers. We welcome this conviction and hope the public can take confidence from this investigation and the commitment of police to bring these types of offenders to justice.”

Stop It Now is a child protection charity, working to prevent child sex abuse. Their confidential service is for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse and its prevention – whether you’re worried about your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, or about another adult or young person.

Safer Lives is a service for people under investigation for offences involving indecent images, sexual communications, voyeurism, or indecent exposure.

The Marie Collins Foundation Services Supporting Families of Child Sexual Abuse Material Offending offers a support to help partners or family members of those who have been arrested on suspicion of accessing indecent images of children.