 A police officer who downloaded child sex abuse images has been spared jail. Kurt Haydon, 38, kept a number of obscene images and videos of children between the ages of nine and 12 that fell into categories C, B and the most extreme, A. He was caught when Staffordshire Police searched a house connected to him in January 2019 and seized two devices, including a laptop. Haydon was suspended by West Midlands Police in May 2021 and resigned after being charged with three counts of making indecent images of children. He was handed an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, by Recorder Julian Taylor, who warned him to 'never do anything like this again'. Prosecutor Daniel Wright told the jury that the offending had happened 'over a relatively long period of time' between 2011 and 2018 – but said that Haydon did not accept that he was the one who had downloaded the images. Mr Wright said: 'He said it couldn't have been him but must have been someone who also had access to the devices. 'The defendant has maintained his defence in the face of overwhelming evidence.' Stafford Crown Court ordered Haydon to complete 30 days' rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work (Picture: PA) Recorder Taylor said Haydon had been an 'exemplary' police officer with no previous convictions and commended him for turning to a new career after retraining as a carpenter but reminded him he had committed 'very serious offences'. He said: 'These are real children who have been abused because of people like you accessing these ghastly images. 'You, as a police officer, would have known this. All the more tragic for you is that you had an exemplary record in the police force. 'You had an established career and you should have known more than anyone that what you were doing was illegal. 'Your family have suffered because of this. You are fortunate not to be going to prison immediately.' Haydon){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A police officer who downloaded child sex abuse images has been spared jail.
Kurt Haydon, 38, kept a number of obscene images and videos of children between the ages of nine and 12 that fell into categories C, B and the most extreme, A.
He was caught when Staffordshire Police searched a house connected to him in January 2019 and seized two devices, including a laptop.
Haydon was suspended by West Midlands Police in May 2021 and resigned after being charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.