Sussex police officer convicted of child sex offence

Cotgreave thought he was talking to a child but was in fact talking to an adult member of the public

A police officer who had a sexual conversation with someone he thought was a teenage girl has been given a one-year suspended jail term.

Damien Cotgreave, 48, engaged in "very explicit" sexual chat with a girl he believed was 13 years old, investigators said.

He was convicted of attempted sexual communication with a child online at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday.

He was also sentenced to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Cotgreave, now known as Damien Gibbons, of High Street, Hailsham, was a Sussex Police detective constable when he was arrested in 2020.

Michelle Shepherd, from the force's paedophile online investigation team, said: "Cotgreave thought he was talking to a 13-year old girl, and engaged in very explicit sexual conversation.

"But he was in fact talking to an adult member of the public who reported their concerns to the police, and we immediately took action to arrest him."

Dep Ch Con David McLaren said his behaviour was "appalling and inexcusable and a violation of the trust that the public put in the police".

Cotgreave was suspended when he was arrested in February 2020 and was in January 2021 found to have breached professional standards at a misconduct hearing, the force said.

Sussex Police said he would have been dismissed had he not resigned.

Cotgreave was placed on a list which would prevent his re-entry into law enforcement, the force added.