A DISGRACED police officer has been sacked after admitting child porn charges.
Pc Christopher Little, who was based at Peterlee Police Station with the Durham force, was given a three-year community order for possessing indecent images and footage of children as young as five.
Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard how six indecent movies featuring children were retrieved from the 33-year-old’s computer.
One showed an adult male engaged in a sexual act with a five-year-old boy.
Julia Bell, prosecuting, said: “An investigation led to the arrest of the defendant.
“The defendant’s computer was explored and he was arrested for possession of indecent images.”
At a previous hearing, Little admitted six counts of making indecent images of children and once of possessing indecent images.
The court heard that two of those were classed as category four images, which is the second most serious level of indecent imagery.
Adam Samuels, defending, told the court that following the charges, Little, of Benton North Tyneside, has been dismissed from Durham Police.
He was sentenced to a three-year community order, with a three-year supervision order.
The former officer must also pay £85 court costs, and undertake treatment at a sex offender’s group.
Passing sentence, district judge Stephen Earl told him: “As I have indicated, what underpins this type of offending is the abuse of children.
“In order for this to happen, children have to be abused by somebody, and this is what, in a sense, having these kind of images encourages.
“Having taken into account your personal circumstances as indicated in the report, the fact that you have lost your employment.”
He added: “It’s no small matter that you have spent some years building a career that you have lost as a result of this offending.”
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