Former Met PC sentenced for spying on woman in Primark changing room

The former officer was found in possession of more than 1,000 indecent images of children

A former Met PC who secretly filmed a woman as she tried on clothes in a London shop has been sentenced.

Swaleh Chaudhry, 36, previously pleaded guilty to carrying out the offence at a Primark in Wandsworth on 30 March.

He also admitted separate charges of possessing extreme pornography and having more than 1,000 indecent images of children.

At Kingston Crown Court on Friday, he was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

• Met PC admits upskirting woman in Primark

At an earlier hearing, Wimbledon Magistrates' Court was told a woman had seen Chaudhry's mobile phone under the door of a changing cubicle at the South Side shopping centre.

Having challenged him, the former PC was then accosted by the shop's security staff. He was arrested at the scene and immediately suspended from duty.

Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said officers had found "various videos of the defendant upskirting... and the videos actually show the defendant's face".

Later, when police searched Chaudhry's home in Wandsworth they found a library of horrific abuse images, the court was told.

More than 1,000 Category B and C indecent images of children were uncovered on numerous devices, as well as at least 52 images of the most serious kind, the court heard.

'Repugnant behaviour'

Chaudhry previously pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, one count of possessing extreme pornography and three counts of making indecent images of children.

He has since resigned from the force.

Cdr Kyle Gordon, who leads the Met's Taskforce, described Chaudhry's behaviour as "repugnant".

"His actions go against everything we stand for," he said.

"Holding the office of constable is a privilege and it comes with great responsibility. He showed himself to be totally unsuitable to hold this office and undeserving of the trust of the public, and it is right that he has resigned."

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