Sick-images inspector who 'filmed young boy while on duty' spared jail

[Fedster 1,012]

Sacked officer handed suspended sentence after discovery of 450 child abuse items.

Walked free: Ex-Inspector Lee Bartram

Date - 15th February 2019
By - Nick Hudson - Police Oracle

3 Comments

 

Officers were left “disgusted and sickened” by an inspector colleague for making and distributing indecent images and videos of children to the internet and committing misconduct by filming a young boy while on duty.

Ex-West Midlands officer Lee Bartram – sacked by the force last September at a special case hearing after more than 450 images were found on electronic devices seized from his home – was yesterday handed a 16-month suspended prison sentence.

Ex-Inspector Bartram, who admitted misconduct in public office, eight charges of making indecent images and two of distributing them, walked free from Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Instead, the 44-year-old’s sentence was suspended for two years and he was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Bartram, who worked as an inspector based in Birmingham city centre, admitted three charges at a previous hearing in December, relating to more than 140 indecent photographs of children made between 2011 and August this year.

He had previously pleaded guilty to five further counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of distributing similar images.

The force said Bartram uploaded illegal pictures to the Tumblr photo sharing website, leading to his arrest on August 13 last year.

Officers then searched his home and recovered computer equipment.

Bartram was released on bail while the investigation continued but officers re-arrested him on August 15 when an examination of his iPhone and iPad uncovered further images.

One showed a boy thought to be aged eight or nine walking through Birmingham city centre, filmed by Bartram while he was on duty.

Officers said 454 images were recovered from Bartram's devices.

Commenting after the case, Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said: "Inspector Bartram abused the trust afforded to his position as a police officer.

"Colleagues are disgusted and sickened by his actions. We rightly expect our officers to be exemplary role models.

"There is no place in policing for those who seek to abuse their position and this case illustrates that we will identify and bring to justice anyone who does."

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[Fedster 1,012]

Force demands CPS review of 'too lenient' sentence of sick-images inspector

West Midlands chief calls for 'proper protection' for public from ex-officer who walked from court.

CC Dave Thompson: In discussions with the CPS over sentencing

Date - 15th February 2019
By - Nick Hudson - Police Oracle

1 Comment

 

A chief is calling for one of his officers to be jailed after he walked free from court despite admitting making and distributing hundreds of indecent images and videos of children and committing misconduct by filming a young boy while on duty.

West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson has demanded a review into the “too lenient” decision to hand a suspended prison sentence to sacked former Inspector Lee Bartram.

Officers were left “disgusted” by the sickening 450 images which were found on electronic devices seized from Bartram’s home.

On Thursday, Bartram was given a 16-month jail term – suspended for two years – and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office, eight charges of making indecent images and two of distributing them at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

CC Thompson said: “The public expect the protection of the police and do not expect officers to break the law.

“This case is very serious and the sentence, in my view, is too lenient for such crimes.” 

He added that the West Midlands force is today discussing the sentencing decision with the Crown Prosecution Service and the subject of an appeal against his sentence.

Police and crime commissioner David Jamieson is working with the Home Office to obtain permission to withhold the 44-year-old former officer’s pension.

Bartram, who worked as an inspector based in Birmingham city centre, admitted three charges at a previous hearing in December, relating to more than 140 indecent photographs of children made between 2011 and August this year.

He had previously pleaded guilty to five further counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of distributing similar images.

The force said Bartram uploaded illegal pictures to the Tumblr photo sharing website, leading to his arrest on August 13 last year.

Officers then searched his home and recovered computer equipment.

Bartram was released on bail while the investigation continued but officers re-arrested him on August 15 when an examination of his iPhone and iPad uncovered further images.

One showed a boy thought to be aged eight or nine walking through Birmingham city centre, filmed by Bartram while he was on duty.

Officers said 454 images were recovered from Bartram's devices.

Commenting after the case, Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said: "Colleagues are disgusted and sickened by his actions.”

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[Cathedral Bobby 964]

I concur wholeheartedly

[Stormy102 29]

Why it isn't an aggravating factor that someone is in a position of trust can make or distribute indecent images (or at least to my knowledge) I don't know...

It regularly make me despair how out of touch the courts are. You get people with multiple knife possession offences handed suspended sentence after suspended sentence, or community service, or a fine. You get people who assault police, NHS and other emergency personnel, often seriously, being handed the same. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, you get a case like this.

God help you if you swear at a Judge though... 

 

[Cathedral Bobby 964]

16 minutes ago, Stormy102 said:

 

God help you if you swear at a Judge though... 

Now that's hardcore criminal

[Stormy102 29]

1 hour ago, Cathedral Bobby said:

Now that's hardcore criminal

Yep - Judges don't seem to mind when other people get punshed, stabbed or spat on, but if someone swears at them... oh boy