Ex-Met Police officer who had indecent images of children avoids jail

Ex-PC Darren Hourigan, 51, was arrested in March 2020 following an investigation by the Met’s Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse team, supported by the Directorate of Professional Standards.

The then-officer, who was attached to the South Area Command Unit, was charged by post on 21 September last year.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of indecent images of children at Kingston Crown Court on April 26.

At the same court on Friday, he was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

Hourigan resigned from the force on April 26 this year.

An accelerated misconduct hearing held on June 12 found him guilty of gross misconduct, and ruled that had PC Hourigan still been a serving officer, he would have been dismissed without notice.

The Met says he will now be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning he cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, or Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, who is in charge of policing in South Area, said: “We have made it clear that the Met will take action against any of its staff who are not fit to remain within the organisation.

“We are committed to providing Londoners with a Met that they deserve; one that upholds the law on the streets of the capital and amongst its own ranks. The vast majority of the thousands of police officers and staff are striving to take this forward – those who won’t are not worthy to remain.”