JAMES LAND, FORMER DERBY POLICE OFFICER, JAILED IN DERBYSHIRE FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND INDECENT IMAGES

This is the face of James Land, a former Derbyshire police community support officer, who covertly filmed children as young as three naked in a swimming pool changing room. Derby Crown Court was told that Land had been collecting vile child abuse images and videos for nearly 20 years. The 43-year-old, who served in the cyber crime unit at Derbyshire police headquarters in Ripley, was found hiding girls' underwear, including items belonging to 13-year-olds, under his bed. In addition to filming children, Land secretly recorded an adult woman engaged in sexual activity.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC sentenced Land to a total of 27 months in prison, stating: "An aggravating feature was that you were carrying out this (indecent images) activity for 19 years. It is quite plain you specifically targeted very young children with the filming. You used your presence in the changing rooms to record young children, and this has caused significant distress to their families." The judge also imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered Land to register as a sex offender for a decade.

At the time of his arrest in May last year, Land's role involved engaging with children suspected of minor computer misuse offences. From 2017 until his arrest, he was involved in safeguarding advice for adults and delivering online safety talks to schools, his sentencing hearing was told. Since his arrest, he has resigned from his position at police headquarters in Ripley.

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, explained that officers became aware of Land’s internet activity linked to indecent images of children, prompting a raid on his then residence at The Hill. Electronic devices, including his police-issued laptop, were seized. Police reviewed a hard drive containing images and a video showing young children in various states of undress in a swimming pool changing room, identified as Queen's Park Leisure Centre in Chesterfield, with the video dated 2015.

Records from swimming lessons at the pool helped identify five children depicted, though two remain unidentified. The video was made without the children's knowledge and lasts four minutes and 17 seconds; Land also took two screenshot images from it. Police contacted parents and guardians, who confirmed their children’s involvement.

Explicit images and videos of an adult woman, recorded without her consent, were also found. The images showed children as young as two or three, both girls and boys, some appearing distressed. There was also an image of Land exposing himself on Derbyshire Constabulary premises.

Victims' parents provided impact statements, one saying: "To know he was a police officer in our community has thoroughly damaged our faith and trust in those supposed to look after us and our children."

Land, now residing in Abergele, Conwy, North Wales, pleaded guilty to charges of voyeurism and possession of 365 Category A indecent images of children, recorded between October 24, 2012, and May 20 last year. These images mostly depict adults raping and abusing children. He also admitted possessing 262 Category B images, 686 Category C images, and 179 prohibited images of children.

Darron Whitehead, defending, explained that Land had pleaded guilty promptly and had no prior convictions. He offered an unreserved apology to the court and victims, emphasizing that none of the images or videos had been disseminated further. Whitehead noted Land's marriage breakdown, estrangement from his son, and that his family members—his mother, father, and two aunts—felt betrayed by his actions. He also expressed remorse for betraying the police force's trust.