DANIEL BABBS FROM REDHILL ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD INDECENT IMAGES CASE IN GUILDFORD

A former police officer from Surrey, Daniel Babbs, has narrowly avoided an immediate jail sentence after being convicted of possessing and creating indecent images of a child.

Babbs, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police Service in November 2021, faced serious allegations related to the possession and creation of illegal images. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, along with one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

The misconduct hearing that followed concluded that Babbs, a resident of Redhill, would have been dismissed from the police force without notice had he not already resigned. The hearing emphasized that his actions breached the standards expected of law enforcement officers, especially those related to integrity and conduct.

Babbs was initially arrested in September 2021, during which authorities discovered additional indecent images stored on his electronic devices. His resignation from the Metropolitan Police came two months after his arrest, and he was formally charged on June 26, 2022. A month later, he entered a guilty plea to the charges.

During a court hearing on November 16, it was determined that Babbs had committed acts that breached the standards of Discreditable Conduct at the level of Gross Misconduct. The court noted that he would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned voluntarily. As a consequence, he will now be added to the Barred List maintained by the College of Policing, which effectively prevents him from seeking employment within the police force or any related agencies in the future.

On October 7, at Guildford Magistrates' Court, Babbs was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was subjected to a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a 10-year notification order. The court also ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid community service and pay a fine of £425.

These proceedings highlight the ongoing efforts to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct, especially in cases involving the exploitation of minors. Babbs’s case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of integrity within the police force and the consequences of violating such standards.