Detective who boasted to undercover police officer about sex with boy, 14, jailed for six years

He discussed abusing children with an officer posing as an online paedophile
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A detective who boasted to an undercover police officer about having sex with a 14-year-old boy has been jailed.

Christopher Richards, 45, discussed abusing children with an officer posing as an online paedophile called ‘Lee’.

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He told ‘Lee’: “I’m just looking for other guys like me to meet up for sex with boys TBH (to be honest).”

Richards, who was jailed for six years, also asked to meet ‘Lee’s’ son and claimed to have engaged in sex acts with 14 and 16-year-old boys.

Richards deleted files from computer

Prosecutor Stephen Kemp told Nottingham Crown Court how Richards, who worked for Leicestershire Police, messaged a 13-year-old boy on Snapchat while he was in school.

Richards told the boy he was ‘hot’ and asked him to send pictures of himself.

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He also downloaded dozens of indecent images of children on his Apple Macbook before deleting the files.

The images on the computer – including three in the most depraved Category A – were created between July and August, 2016.

Arrest and sentencing

He was arrested on March 11, 2020 at his home in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

Richards admitted making indecent images of children but denied attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

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A jury found him guilty and on Tuesday (19 October) Richards was jailed for six years.

He was found not guilty of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

‘This behaviour will not be tolerated by us as a force’

Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Rich Ward Head of the Professional Standards Department at Leicestershire Police, said: “Richards should have been a person who the public and force could trust without question to carry out his duty as a police officer and to demonstrate the highest level of personal and professional behaviour.

“He has severely breached this trust we had in him by committing these abhorrent offences.

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“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by us as a force.”

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