Disgraced student police officer dismissed after admitting 'horrendous' child sex images
A former student police officer would have been sacked if he didn't resign after admitting "horrendous" child sex images offences, a misconduct hearing was told.
Keel Walker, from Gornal Wood, admitted making indecent photographs between July 10, 2015, and April 26, 2021 at Dudley Magistrates' Court earlier this year.
The 21-year-old had joined West Midlands Police as a student officer in March last year, and was with the force for a month before his crimes were identified, a misconduct hearing at the force's HQ heard.
Chief Constable Sir David Thompson, who chaired Friday's hearing, heard Walker's behaviour would have "posed a risk to the public" had he not resigned and the case had "impacted on the reputation of the force".
The meeting concluded Walker had breached discreditable conduct and it was ruled to have been gross misconduct, which would have led him to be dismissed if he hadn't already resigned.
Mr Thompson said the offences were "horrendous crimes" which were "extremely serious", and said Walker had only been a police officer for one month when the offences came to light.
The chief constable added there were "clear limitations to what vetting can identify" as he dismissed him without notice, adding the 21-year-old had been added to the force's barring list.
Walker, who will be sentenced on Monday for the offences, did not appear at the hearing at Lloyd House in Birmingham on Friday morning and had no representation.
The 21-year-old had joined the force in March last year as a student officer and was arrested after a warrant was carried out at his home address where a number of devices were seized.
Walker was immediately suspended from duty while an investigation was carried out and later charged. He resigned from his post in September last year.
The former student officer pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs between July 10, 2015, and April 26, 2021 at Dudley Magistrates' Court on January 27 this year.
The charges related to seven Category A – the most serious category – moving images of a child, two Category B moving images and three still images, and nine Category C still images and one moving image.
The former officer, from Redhall Road in Gornal Wood, will be sentenced at Dudley Magistrates' Court for the offences on Monday.
