Police sergeant tried to talk to child about sex

Cerrig Shardlow was previously based at Slough police station

A former police sergeant has been given a suspended jail term after he tried to ask a child about their sexual experiences and physical appearance.

Cerrig Shardlow, 46, previously worked for Thames Valley Police (TVP) and was based at Slough police station.

He admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Shardlow, of Lime Close, Wokingham, was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, at Lewes Crown Court.

He was arrested on 9 June 2022 and immediately suspended by TVP. He was charged in March 2023.

Thames Valley Police’s deputy chief constable Ben Snuggs said Shardlow’s conduct was “completely unacceptable” and that he would have been sacked had he not quit.

“We are absolutely committed to rooting out any members of our workforce who commit crimes of this nature and who fall short of our high expectations,” Mr Snuggs said.

“There is no place in Thames Valley Police for officers who commit criminal offences such as this.”

Shardlow was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years.