Ex-Met Police worker avoids jail for sex abuse chat
PA - A former Met Police worker who talked on social media with others about the sexual abuse of children has avoided being jailed
- Matthew Seekings, a control room supervisor when he was arrested, talked with Michael Kent and others over six years on X
- They shared about 4,000 indecent images of children in their chats, Birmingham Crown Court hears
- Both are given three-year community orders with a judge calling their conversations "simply disgusting"
A former Met Police officer who admitted discussing the sexual abuse of children with others on social media has avoided a jail sentence.
Matthew Seekings, who was a control room supervisor for the force, talked with Michael Kent and others over six years on X, formerly known as Twitter.
About 4,000 indecent images of children were shared in their conversations, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
The pair were given three-year community orders.
Their conversations on X between April 2015 and June 2021 were "shocking, repulsive and alarming" and included "vile" racism about black children, prosecutor Timothy Harrington told the court.
Both men shared images of young girls and described to each other what they would like to do to them, he added.
The National Crime Agency was alerted to the conversations by the social media platform and Kent, 58, of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and Seekings, 46, of Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, were arrested.
Kent told police the messages were "fantasy chat" and he regretted he "allowed himself to get drawn into these conversations".
Seekings pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article.
Kent admitted six offences related to indecent or prohibited images of children.
In Seekings' defence, Jay Nutkins said his client had lost everything and had a job which paid half the salary of his police role, which he had resigned from.
For Kent, Rebecca Da Silva said her client wanted to apologise "profusely" to the victims, the court and his family.
'Simply disgusting'
The defendants' claims they did not have a sexual interest in children were rejected by Judge Richard Bond who said they both contributed to the conversations.
He told Seekings, as a former worker for the Met Police, it was "a real concern that you were happy to carry out these offences".
"You should both be utterly ashamed and embarrassed by your behaviour. The conversations about sexually abusing children were simply disgusting," the judge added.
Judge Bond said a prison sentence would not address their "urges" and it was "imperative" the pair took part in a sexual offender treatment programme.
The pair were also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and 60 rehabilitation activity days and subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
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