By Ashley Young-
A disgraced former Norfolk police officer has been jailed after admitting indecent images offences of the most serious kind.
George Ince, 26, (pictured)a former Great Yarmouth-based officer, admitted being involved in the making and distribution of indecent images of children ranging in age from six to 17 between May 2019 and July 2020.
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Ince was dismissed from the Norfolk force in August at at an accelerated misconduct hearing at the force’s HQ which lasted less than 10 minutes.
Norfolk’s acting chief constable Paul Sanford , dismissed the officer without notice. He said: “I find his offending to be despicable.
“By admitting these offences, PC Ince has made his position in the constabulary completely untenable.
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“I expect the utmost professionalism and highest personal standards from officers and PC Ince’s conduct does not represent the commitment, dedication and integrity demonstrated by his former colleagues across the force each day.
“There is no place in the organisation for behaviour like this”.
Shocking
The shocking admission further raises the importance of stricter vetting proceeedures for police officers in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. The number of police officers caught for despicable offences is growing and worrying, and continue to question the processes through which individuals are chosen to join the police force.
Wayne Couzens was jailed for life this week, after abducting, raping, and murdering Everard.
The latest news about a serving police officer possessing indecent images of a child shows just how contaminated the police force can be with bad apples.
Norwich Crown Court heard Ince was also involved in chats on a website which included discussion about the rape of a teenager and young girls being tied up.
Danielle O’Donovan, prosecuting, said that in July 2020, while Ince was a serving police officer, police received information about indecent images on an internet account linked to an address in Kingfisher Close, Stalham.
The property, where the defendant lived, was visited by police who conducted a search after they were let in by Ince.
Miss O’Donovan said computer devices were seized and investigated and found to contain indecent images.
The court heard that as well as indecent images of female children as young as six, ranging up to 17, there were also discussions about the objectification of children.
Miss O’Donovan said discussions included “the rape of a 14-year-old” and other chats about the “blackmail of a girl for indecent images of herself”.
He also discussed how he “raped a girl when I lost my virginity”.
Miss O’Donovan said these were all at the time when the defendant was a serving police officer.
She added that “his employment has come to an end” after he was dismissed.
Ince, of Kingfisher Close, Stalham, appeared at court on Thursday (October 7) to be sentenced after having admitted three offences of making an indecent photo of a child, three offences of distributing an indecent image of a child and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Jailing him for a total of 16 months, Judge Anthony Bate said the former police officer’s conduct was “appalling” and involved indecent images of the “gravest kind”.
Judge Bate said: “These offences taken together are simply too serious for anything other than immediate custody today.”
He said Ince had “brought disgrace upon yourself and indeed the police force” but commended the investigation conducted into his conduct by the Safeguarding children online (SCOLT) team which he said was of the highest standard.
The judge added that Ince had “yet to give any kind of account that could be said to be frank and open” about his offending, but said it could be “borne out of a deep sense of shame”.
Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said Ince’s activity on the site happened at a time when his mental health was poor.
Mr Oliver said he had been under a “great deal of stress at work, particularly having dealt with highly traumatic incidents which had a negative impact on his wellbeing”.
The court was told Ince was having suicidal thoughts and was going through a difficult period in his relationship.
Mr Oliver said Ince “feels devastated for what he’s done” and has a feeling of “utter despair”.
He said: “He apologises to his community and to those that trusted him. He’s sorry to his partner, family and friends.”
Ince was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years and must sign on the sex offenders register, also for 10 years.
Another police officer due to be sentenced had his case adjourned until November 4.
Neal Porter, 32, a former police constable in south Norfolk, admitted taking an indecent image of a child, distributing an image of a child and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.
They were three counts of making indecent images of a child, three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Ince, from Stalham, admitted the offences, which happened between May 2019 and July 2020, at Norwich Magistrates Court earlier this year and was dismissed from the force without notice at an accelerated misconduct hearing in August.
Also due to be sentenced today is Neal Porter, a former South Norfolk officer, who admitted a total of five indecent images offences, including taking an indecent image of a child, distributing an image of a child and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.
The offences occurred between June and October 2020 and Porter, 32, from Watton, was dismissed by the Norfolk force in November 2020.
The officers are to be sentenced at a time when the conduct of police officers has been thrust into the spotlight following the murder of Sarah Everard in March.
Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Wayne Couzens was sentenced to a whole life term for the murder of Miss Everard.
He used his warrant card and handcuffs to snatch the 33-year-old marketing executive into his car using Covid lockdown rules to make a false arrest before raping and murder1
Ince’s misconduct hearing at Wymondham Police HQ in August lasted less than 10 minutes.
Dismissing the officer without notice, Norfolk’s acting chief constable Paul Sanford said: “I find his offending to be despicable.
“By admitting these offences, PC Ince has made his position in the constabulary completely untenable.
“I expect the utmost professionalism and highest personal standards from officers and PC Ince’s conduct does not represent the commitment, dedication and integrity demonstrated by his former colleagues across the force each day.
“There is no place in the organisation for behaviour like this”
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