EX POLICE OFFICER IN COURT OVER INDECENT IMAGES CONVICTION
Thomas Aiston, aged 35, made his first appearance at Carlisle Magistrates Court on October 6, 2025.He faces charges related to making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, with the case listed under reference 03NN0267325.
Aiston did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody until his next hearing.
The prosecution alleges that he created indecent images involving a minor, though specific details remain under the court’s seal.
The magistrates scheduled the case for a future hearing, and Aiston is set to return to court to face the allegations.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat crimes involving child exploitation through digital imagery.
The court has not released any further details about the case or the defendant, maintaining privacy standards.
Aiston's appearance was brief, with no application for bail made at this stage.
The court continues to handle an array of similar cases, underscoring the importance of community safety and safeguarding children from online abuse.
——————————————————————————————————- CUMBRIA POLICE TRAINEE OFFICER DOWNLOADED INDECENT CHILD IMAGES A STUDENT police officer downloaded illegal images of children just months after joining Cumbria Constabulary, a court heard.
Thomas Aiston, a 35-year-old who is no longer employed by the force, was sentenced by a district judge who told him: “You are somebody who really should have known better.” Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard Aiston’s offending came to light after Cumbria police received information from external law enforcement.
Enquiries led to Aiston who, at the time, was a student officer with the force having joined in March 2024.
“He was formally arrested, detained and interviewed,” said prosecutor George Shelley.
A number of devices were seized, examined and, from that analysis, it emerged that illegal images had been downloaded.
There were 11 in total, said the prosecutor; two were classed as being in category A — the most serious.
These were downloaded between November 18, 2024, and April 25 this year.
Category A images are defined as those involving penetrative sexual activity.
Aiston, of Bowland Drive, Kendal, admitted three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
In a formal basis of plea he submitted that only six images had been downloaded.
This was not accepted by the prosecution.
However, district judge John McGarva concluded this would make no material difference to the sentence he imposed.
Defence lawyer Laura Baumanis, mitigating, maintained that six images were downloaded, and saved to a private folder.
“He offers his apology to the court for that,” said Ms Baumanis, who added that the defendant’s loss of good character would have “long-standing implications for him”.
Aiston accepted he had a pornographic addiction — something potentially which had been ongoing for a long period of time — which had “spiralled”.
The number of pornographic images viewed had “de-sensitised” him.
But, said the lawyer: “That is no excuse.” Aiston had been suspended from his job following arrest and later handed in his notice.
A dad-of-two, he acknowledged he would not be returning to his family home following the court case.
The probation service had concluded he was somebody they could work with.
He was backed by a large bundle of character references.
“Mr Aiston is a gentleman who very much recognises the impact of his actions — not just on himself but those very close to him,” said Ms Baumanis.
“He very much wants to put this very sad incident behind him.” District judge McGarva concluded there was an element of “minimisation and denial” by Aiston when discussing the issue of sexual interest in children with a probation officer.
“If you are going to overcome these issues for good, you need more understanding of your position and more acceptance of what you have done,” said the judge.
Aiston was given a two-year community order, must complete rehabilitation work and was fined £300.
He must sign the sex offender register and abide by the strict terms of a prevention order, both for five years.
“These are not victim-less crimes,” the judge told him.
“The children in these images are victims of sexual abuse.
They would be less likely to be abused if there wasn’t a market for these images.” *When asked about any ongoing internal disciplinary proceedings, a Cumbria police spokesman said these “would only commence following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings”.
—————————————————————————————————— A FORMER Cumbria Police officer who downloaded indecent images of children would have been dismissed had he not resigned, a misconduct hearing has ruled.
Thomas Aiston was sentenced last month after he pleaded guilty to making six Category A images, two Category B images and three Category C images.
The 35-year-old committed the offences in March 2024 when he was a student officer with Cumbria Constabulary.
He received a community order, a £300 fine, placement in a rehabilitation program, was told to sign the Sexual Offenders Register and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
At Cumbria Police's HQ, Carleton Hall in Penrith, Aiston faced a misconduct hearing.
He was not in attendance nor represented.
Assistant Chief Officer Sarah Jackson found the breaches amounted to gross misconduct.
“In short, the appropriate authority contended that I could impose the only available disciplinary sanction and find that the Former Officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned,” Ms Jackson said.
“The guidance states that offences of indecent images of children are particularly serious and likely to terminate an officer’s career.
Such offending involved a fundamental breach of the public's trust in police officers and inevitably brings the profession into disrepute and denotes that sexual impropriety should be considered especially serious as it can significantly undermine public trust in the profession.
I found the level of culpability to be very high.
I concluded that there were also very high levels of harm present.
In conclusion, the level of seriousness is without question at the very highest level.
Mr Aiston's conduct was wholly indefensible is not reflective of the highest standards expected from the public.
Mr Aiston could never be trusted to protect the public, especially those who are at most vulnerable of harm.” Aiston has now been added to the College of Policing barred list.
