PC jailed for sexually exploiting teenage girls

Elliot Wright was arrested on the same day he took a girl away from her care home

A former police officer who sexually exploited teenage girls he met online has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Elliot Wright was a constable at Bedfordshire Police when a 17-year-old girl got into a car with him and they briefly disappeared together on 21 March.

An investigation found the 30-year-old had spent weeks talking to the girl on social media, as well as offering another child £3 for indecent images, police said.

Wright, from Henlow, Bedfordshire, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court having admitted two offences of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, taking a child without lawful authority and committing an act to pervert the course of justice.

'Sexual predator'

Bedfordshire Police suspended Wright, a roads policing officer, after he was arrested on the day of the incident on 21 March, and later dismissed him from the force.

A misconduct hearing in September found he would have been sacked if his vetting was not already removed.

Temporary chief constable Dan Vajzovic said Wright was a "deviant sexual predator" who "targeted and groomed" girls for his sexual gratification.

"There is no excuse for how he acted," the officer added.

Wright searched online for the disciplinary action he could face from Bedfordshire Police if caught

The 17-year-old girl, from Hertfordshire, was the subject of a deprivation of liberty order when she was targeted by Wright, police said.

It meant she was under continuous supervision at a care home and was not free to leave.

Care home staff contacted police after they saw her get into the car with Wright, who later told her to delete all messages she had from him.

Following his arrest, detectives later traced a further victim - a 16-year-old who Wright offered £3 to in return for indecent images of her.

'Twisted'

Wright was also found to have searched online for what the disciplinary proceedings were for police officers who committed child sex offences, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Paul Robson, a senior prosecutor, said the former officer knew his victims were vulnerable and "he took advantage of that".

"We hope his sentence sends a clear message that we won't hesitate to bring charges against those who prey on young people for their own twisted ends," he added.