A former Norfolk Constabulary police inspector has been convicted of sending indecent and obscene messages.
Jonathan (Jon) Pierre Papworth, 46, of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, admitted two offences of using a public electronic communications network to send indecent and obscene messages when he appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 21st February 2023.
This is an offence under section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003. It has a maximum penalty of 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.
Papworth, who was most recently based in the Dereham area, resigned from Norfolk Constabulary when he was charged back in December 2022.
Specific details of Papworth's offences are limited, but the fact that the District Judge has made an interim sexual harm prevention order - an order that can only be made when the court is satisfied that an offender poses a risk of sexual harm to the public - gives an indication.
The ten messages in question were posted online between 14th February and 23rd April 2021. They were received by an officer working on an ongoing investigation.
Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: "The aggravating feature is that the defendant was a police officer and had been for 22 years and was an inspector in the police.
"There is quite extreme public interest with regards to this sort of matter because of other cases in the news."
Mr Brown highlighted that there wasn't a vulnerable victim, as such, because the messages were posted to an undercover officer.
He added: "However if there were a victim it would be a case of greater harm and there would be substantial distress caused to that particular victim given the nature of this offence."
Shade Abiodun, mitigating, said: "This is lower capability matter in terms of harm but I have to concede that when one looks at other statutory and aggravating matters, there is an abuse of trust given the position the defendant was in at the time."
District Judge Elizabeth Hart ordered the completion of a pre-sentence report.
Papworth was granted bail until his sentencing at the same court on Friday, 28th April 2023.
As mentioned, he was made subject to an interim sexual harm prevention order until sentencing.
Update (5/5/23): Papworth has now been sentenced.
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