Police officer admits possessing extreme pornography

Craig Finch was suspended from his role as a PC based at St Aldates Police Station

A former police officer has been spared jail after admitting possessing extreme pornography.

Thames Valley Police said Craig Finch's actions amounted to gross misconduct and he had resigned from the force.

The 38-year-old, of Banbury, Oxfordshire, was handed a four-month suspended sentence at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court.

The former PC pleaded guilty after he was found in possession of an SD card containing five videos.

The court heard Finch's offence was "aggravated" by his former profession and he would be placed on the College of Policing's barred list.

The content on the card was described as: "Grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character."

Court documents revealed the videos showed acts "likely to result in serious injury".

The court heard the videos were among more than 400 other pieces of pornographic material, and there was "a suggestion of a background problem with pornography" in a pre-sentence report.

'Entirely unacceptable'

District Judge Arvind Sharma told Finch he opted for a suspended sentence "because of your previous good character and, to a limited extent, you have lost your job because of your own doing".

Finch, previously based at St Aldates in Oxford, was suspended in November and resigned before a misconduct hearing, which concluded he would have been fired, the court heard.

During the private misconduct hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: "It is entirely unacceptable to myself, to the force, as well as to the public for someone who is supposed to uphold the law and protect others, to have committed such an offence and remain an officer."

Finch was also ordered to undertake 160 hours of unpaid work and pay court costs.