NEIL BOWDERY, FORMER POLICE OFFICER IN CHATHAM, FACED COURT OVER POSSESSING INDECENT IMAGES
In June 2021, Neil Bowdery, a former police officer from Chatham, faced serious allegations after claiming he was overwhelmed with indecent images, some depicting children as young as one year old, following his attempt to become a paedophile hunter.Bowdery stated he had met a man named 'James' because he wanted to join a paedophile hunting group.
When asked why he did not report the illegal messages received on his iPhone, he explained that he had developed romantic feelings for the man and feared that reporting would push him away.
During a court hearing at Maidstone Crown Court, it was revealed that police, when seizing a mobile phone belonging to another sex offender, discovered Bowdery’s mobile number stored on it.
Prosecutor Naomi Perry explained, "Police officers engaged in dealing with indecent images seized a mobile phone.
After examining the device, they found a link to the defendant, who had been communicating via chat, and images had been sent to Bowdery." She added that Bowdery inquired if the other man had "any nice pics lately" and whether he could receive more images.
Further investigation showed Bowdery had discussed children with the other man and even sent a lewd message about his own daughter.
Officers also found that Bowdery had received an image of a young girl.
He later asked if it would be "OK" to message the child.
In early 2020, specifically February or March, Bowdery sent a message to a woman asking, "Any chance of some w****** material today LOL?" Bowdery, who gave an address at Goldstone Walk, Chatham, was arrested in September of the previous year when police confiscated his iPhone, which contained the illegal images.
He told investigators that he was a former police officer and explained, "In the course of my work, I had come across a man who claimed to be a paedophile hunter," according to the prosecutor.
She said, "There was a man, identified as James, who had sent him Category A nude images.
He claimed that James had bombarded him with images.
Bowdery stated that he was doing all this to become a paedophile hunter." During a subsequent interview, Bowdery admitted he had "got involved with this man and didn’t feel able to challenge him." He described that the other man had sent him "shed loads of images," though not all involved children.
When asked why he didn't report him, Bowdery responded, "Because of the bi (sexual) thing.
I know I should have done it but I didn’t want him losing interest in me." The 37-year-old, now employed at a garden centre, pleaded guilty to possessing nine images of children across all categories of seriousness.
He was sentenced to 15 months in jail, suspended for a year, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community unpaid work.
Additionally, he was placed under a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Judge Recorder James Dawson remarked, "You know in your own mind that this was totally unacceptable behaviour." It was also noted that in 2013, Bowdery was cleared of allowing a schizophrenic man to die in front of him while attempting to return him to hospital.
