MARK ROSEBURY SHAMES LANCASHIRE POLICE WITH CHILD PORN CRIME
A police officer currently serving in Lancashire has been convicted and sentenced to prison for possessing a significant collection of indecent images of children, a revelation that has shocked the community and cast a shadow over law enforcement integrity.Mark Rosebury, aged 38, was sentenced to 18 months behind bars at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday, September 4.
He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including the possession of over 500 indecent images of minors across all three recognized categories, as well as possessing extreme pornographic material and prohibited images of children.
The court heard that Rosebury, who resided on Earnshaw Road in Bacup, was an active member of Greater Manchester Police at the time of his arrest, a fact that has intensified public outrage and concern.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, who oversees the professional standards department within the police force, issued a statement emphasizing the gravity of the misconduct.
He stated, "The public rightly expects the highest professional standards from those who serve in the police, and it is clear the actions of Mark Rosebury fall disgracefully below that.
He should be appalled by his crimes and the impact his actions understandably have on the public’s confidence in the overwhelming majority of officers who are professional, decent, hard-working people who serve their communities day-in day-out." In addition to the criminal proceedings, the force has announced that a misconduct hearing against Rosebury will be expedited.
This decision follows the conclusion of his imprisonment, which has allowed authorities to halt his salary immediately.
Allen further explained, "We have assisted our colleagues in Lancashire throughout this case to ensure that Rosebury is brought to justice for his crimes.
Rosebury remains suspended from the force, and following his imprisonment, legally we have now been able to stop his pay with immediate effect.
A misconduct hearing will now be accelerated since there is no longer a risk to prejudicing criminal proceedings." Details of Rosebury’s background reveal that he joined the police force in 2017 after working as a transport driver for the ambulance service.
In 2021, he received training as a collision reconstruction expert.
His pre-sentence report indicated that he claimed to have been numb from his work, which he suggested contributed to his criminal behavior.
Prosecutor Niamh McGinty outlined the circumstances leading to the arrest, stating that police officers attended Rosebury’s residence on May 27, 2023, after receiving information about peer-to-peer file sharing activity.
It was suspected that Rosebury used three different IP addresses—one linked to his home address and two associated with the East Lancashire Railway, where he volunteered—to access and download the illicit images.
Devices seized from his home contained a disturbing collection: 257 images classified as Category A, 110 as Category B, and 150 as Category C, along with three prohibited images of children and nine extreme pornographic images.
Judge Robert Altham, presiding over the case, delivered a stern sentence, emphasizing the heinous nature of the crimes.
He remarked, "Each of those children is a living, breathing human being who had been exploited in a horrible way so you could watch.
Your work cannot provide any excuse or reason for you to resort to watching the suffering of children.
When police officers commit offences, there is a loss of public confidence in the police service as a whole." In response to the case, a spokesperson for the East Lancashire Railway confirmed that Rosebury’s role with the organization did not involve interaction with the public and has now been terminated.
The railway authority expressed its disapproval of his actions and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a safe and trustworthy environment for all visitors and volunteers.
