POLICE OFFICER FROM BURNLEY IN CHILD PORN SHAME
An officer from East Lancashire who assisted in identifying and apprehending online sex offenders has been released after being found in possession of nearly 1,000 indecent images of children at his residence.Prior to his arrest, Lee Vincent Kelly, 50, formerly based in Burnley, was slated to receive an award from Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, in recognition of his work in a unit specializing in child sex crimes and his previous service in an undercover drugs squad.
However, this recognition was revoked once his personal conduct came under scrutiny in December 2016.
He pleaded guilty before his trial at Preston Crown Court, which was scheduled for the previous November.
Judge Andrew Woolman sentenced Kelly to 10 months in prison suspended for a period, stating, "You have injured Greater Manchester Police through your actions.
You have also harmed yourself; you lost your job some months ago.
You have brought shame upon yourself and have tarnished your reputation for life in some ways." Kelly admitted to producing three counts of creating indecent images of minors between 2009 and 2014, including 114 images classified as Category A, representing the most severe form of child pornography.
He claimed that he did not derive sexual pleasure from his actions in his statement of plea.
Prosecutor Richard Haworth explained that the Crown Prosecution Service "did not accept this as such," but decided not to challenge his explanation in court.
He added that Kelly had been employed by the online undercover unit of his police force since 2008, where he was responsible for the welfare of colleagues using fictitious profiles that impersonated children or pedophiles.
The court heard that the team operated from a secure facility, and remote work was rarely authorized.
Lisa Roberts QC, defending Kelly, acknowledged that he had acted improperly in executing his duties but expressed that he showed sincere remorse and regret.
She highlighted the pressures Kelly faced during his career and noted that his marriage had ended roughly a decade earlier.
Roberts emphasized that Kelly had let himself down and disappointed his family and colleagues, whom he had served honorably for many years.
She concluded by stating that the police had lost a once "decent and diligent officer" due to his actions.
