Police officer and cadet leader caught with indecent images of children would have been sacked, hearing rules
A former West Mercia Police officer and cadet leader caught with indecent images of children would have been sacked if he hadn't resigned, a hearing has ruled.
Jamie Bunting, 27, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children following an investigation led by West Mercia Police’s Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET).
Bunting was an officer based at Kidderminster and worked as a Cadet Leader for North Worcestershire Volunteer Police Cadets.
He was sentenced to a total of 10 months in prison suspended for two years - relating to charges over indecent images in categories A, B, and C.
He was handed the sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court in November last year.
In a statement following the accelerated misconduct hearing West Mercia Police said: "Bunting seriously breached the professional standards of behaviour by discreditable conduct, by bringing the force in disrepute through his actions while off duty.
"Today (Friday, July 11) an accelerated misconduct hearing found that he would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned."
Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “We will continue to rid West Mercia Police of individuals who have no place in our force and hold them to account to ensure they can never work in policing again.
“Bunting seriously breached not only the standards of professional behaviour, but he broke the law. He has rightly faced the repercussions of his actions.”
Bunting has also been added to the College of Policing Barred List preventing him from ever working for a UK police service in the future.
