Met special constable sacked for gross misconduct

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

A Metropolitan Police special constable who has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a child has been dismissed for gross misconduct.

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 in August of raping a woman he met online while posing as a 16-year-old girl.

A misconduct hearing on Friday found that he had breached the standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

Det Ch Supt Simon Stancombe, of the Met Police anti-corruption and abuse command, said after his conviction last month: "Bubb was immediately suspended as a volunteer police officer [in April 2024] as soon as we became aware of these very serious allegations.

"No complaints had previously been made about Bubb's conduct while performing his duties as a special constable."

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

Amersham Law Courts heard the offences took place between 1 January 2018 and 2 April 2024 in London and Buckinghamshire.

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.

The special constable started to volunteer with Met Police Central West team in September 2020 and was off-duty when all the incidents took place.

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

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