PC Stephen McGoldrick admits having 9,000 indecent images

Stephen McGoldrick resigned from Gloucestershire Constabulary last month

A police officer has admitted having thousands of indecent images of children.

PC Stephen McGoldrick, 50, downloaded the images while working for Gloucestershire Constabulary, Bristol Magistrates' Court heard.

He was caught when pictures were found on his phone and subsequent searches of other devices revealed 9,000 images.

McGoldrick resigned in July when he was charged with five counts of making indecent images of children.

The charge relates to offenders who view illegal images but may not necessarily have created them.

The offences were committed between 2008 and 2019 and five of the images found were deemed to be Category A, the most serious kind.

McGoldrick, a former response officer, is due to be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 11 September.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said gross misconduct proceedings were pending.

Det Ch Insp Chris Hanson said the "abhorrent" and "completely unacceptable" offences seem "even worse when committed by a police officer".

"There is certainly no place for individuals like this within Gloucestershire Constabulary," he said.