Robert Gabbott, 64, from Melksham, a retired Wiltshire Police officer, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of distributing and possessing indecent images of children. The court handed him a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.
Along with the suspended sentence, Gabbott must complete 175 hours of unpaid work and attend a rehabilitation course. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. Importantly, these offences were committed after he left Wiltshire Police and did not occur during his time in service.
Detective Sergeant Jason Walsh of the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) commented on the case, stating: “I want our communities to be reassured that our department work tirelessly and our focus is rooting out all forms of child abuse and offending whether this is in a position of trust or not.”
He added, “We will follow the evidence found and bring offenders to justice on every occasion – with impartiality and integrity – to ensure we are doing everything in our power to safeguard children.”
Detective Sergeant Walsh urged anyone with concerns about the wellbeing and safeguarding of children to contact the authorities immediately. He said, “You can call us on 101, 999, anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via our website.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
