EX-MET SPECIAL CONSTABLE JAILED FOR RAPING CHILD
A man formerly serving as a special constable with the Metropolitan Police has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing a minor.Identifying as a woman under the name Gwyn Samuels, James Bubb, aged 28 from Chesham, Buckinghamshire, groomed an underage girl online before assaulting her when she was 12.
He was also convicted of meeting and raping another woman, who was 18 at the time, after engaging with her online under false pretenses as a teenager.
At Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday, the judge handed down a total sentence of 32 years: 24 years in custody plus an eight-year extension on licence.
During the trial at Amersham Law Courts, the individual was consistently referred to using male pronouns, as he identified as male during the time of the crimes.
The judge, Jonathan Cooper, stated that following his gender transition, he should now be recognised as Gwyn Samuels.
The defendant faced multiple charges related to the first victim, including rape of a child under 13, sexual activity with a minor, assault involving penetration, and assault by penetration.
He was found not guilty of some charges but guilty of raping the second victim.
The judge described how Samuels exploited the trust of his victims in a calculated campaign meant to break their spirit.
The first victim was met on the chat platform Omegle in 2018 and later seen in person at a Christian festival.
It was revealed that Samuels assaulted her in public shortly before her 13th birthday.
The trial detailed violent abuse, including rape and sexual assault, when she was a young teen, with police reports indicating he physically assaulted her.
She felt intimidated, noting that Samuels appeared paranoid and attempted to hide her with her visible wristband during the festival.
The girl also reported that Samuels often talked about his supposed special powers, referencing his role as a police special constable.
The second victim, who had just turned 18, was raped during their ongoing relationship from January 2018 until February 2023.
All criminal activity occurred within the period from January 2018 to April 2024.
Samuels began volunteering as a special constable with the Met Police Central West team in September 2020 but was suspended immediately after his arrest in April 2024.
Previously, he worked as a theatre technician at Harrow School from 2018 until his arrest, with the school ending his employment upon learning of charges.
The court acknowledged that Samuels, still held in a male prison, poses significant danger to women, emphasising that his gender identity has no bearing on his criminal conduct.
He was also issued a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, barring him from contacting young women.
