Met special constable found guilty of child rape

James Bubb first met one of the complainants at a Christian festival

A Metropolitan Police special constable has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a child.

James Bubb, who now identifies as a woman named Gwyn Samuels, groomed one of his two victims online before sexually assaulting her when she was just 12 years old.

The 27-year-old, from Chesham in Buckinghamshire, was also found guilty of raping a woman he met online while posing as a 16-year-old girl.

He still identified as male at the time of the offences and he was referred to by biological sex throughout the trial at Amersham Law Courts.

Bubb began to volunteer with the Met Police Central West team as a special constable in September 2020 and the force said he was suspended immediately after his arrest by Thames Valley Police (TVP) on 30 April 2024.

Simon Stancome, of the Met Police anti-corruption and abuse command, said his actions were "completely despicable"

TVP investigating officer Det Con Kirsty Pendle described him as "a dangerous, predatory sex offender".

Bubb was also a theatre technician at Harrow School and it said his contract was terminated once it was alerted by the authorities.

The offences took place between 1 January 2018 and 2 April 2024.

James Bubb, who now identifies as Gwyn Samuels, sexually assaulted the girl in public shortly before her 13th birthday

The crown court trial was told that Bubb met his first victim on the online chat site Omegle in 2018 - before meeting in person for the first time at a Christian festival a few months later.

Prosecutors said Bubb was a volunteer steward and the victim was wearing a colour-coded child's wristband that was clearly on show.

The officer sexually assaulted the girl in public shortly before her 13th birthday and was forced to pull his trousers up after a dog walker went past.

His victim also said Bubb spoke "a lot about the powers he had" in his role with the Met.

Bubb was found guilty of one count of raping a child under 13, one count of sexual activity with a child, one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, and one count of assault by penetration - all relating to the same complainant.

He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child in relation to the same complainant.

Bubb now identifies as a woman named Gwyn Samuels but was referred to by biological sex during the trial

Bubb was also found guilty of one count of rape against a second complainant.

The court heard the officer raped the woman, who he met when she had just turned 18, while he was in an on-off relationship with her between January 2018 and February 2023.

She said the defendant would "use police training techniques" on her, telling police: "The control, the power he got. It sure as hell wasn't consensual."

The trial took place at Amersham Law Courts

Judge Jonathan Cooper told jurors after the trial the case must have been "very challenging, I'm sure, for you as individuals".

Jurors reached verdicts after deliberating for six hours and 32 minutes.

Det Con Insp Stancome commended the survivors for their bravery.

He said no complaints had previously been made about Bubb's conduct as a special constable.

"Now criminal proceedings have concluded we can proceed with seeking dismissal," the officer added.

'Disturbing case'

A spokesperson for the NSPCC child protection charity said Bubb should have been relied on to "keep children safe".

"It is now vital that both the victims in this disturbing case receive all the support they need," they said.

"Bubb's actions also highlight once again how tech companies need to be doing much more to make their platforms safe spaces for children and young people when they go online."

Det Sgt Catriona Cameron, of the TVP child abuse investigation unit, said Bubb's actions were "absolutely" a breach of trust.

"There was an element that he used the fact that they are a special constable in order to intimidate and they have used officer safety techniques and restraint on the victims as part of their offending," said Det Sgt Cameron.

Harrow School said Bubb was employed as a member of the school's support staff between 2018 and April 2024.

In a statement, the school said: "Having made the appropriate internal inquiries and communicating fully with the police and the local authority designated officer, we have no reason to believe that they engaged in any misconduct towards pupils or colleagues at the school."

Bubb is due to be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on 19 December.