By James Simons-
A Met Police officer who sent messages about the sexual abuse of children has been sacked from the force.
PC Duncan Bouette (pictured)was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service (the Met), specifically attached to the North East Command Unit. He was dismissed from the force and sentenced for sharing messages related to the sexual abuse of children and other extreme, violent sexual practices.
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Bouette was arrested on October 7, 2025, after the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Unit received information about his activities. He was subsequently charged with two counts under the Obscene Publications Act. On October 8 he was charged with two counts under the Obscene Publications Act.
The disgraced officer appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 9 where he pleaded guilty to both charges.
On Thursday (November 6) at the same court, he was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence alongside 200 hours of community work. He was also handed a three-year criminal behaviour order with conditions prohibiting unsupervised contact with children and relating to the use of digital devices.
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Superintendent Lynne Forster, who leads policing in North East London said: “PC Bouette’s behaviour was completely unacceptable and specialist officers moved swiftly following information received.
“PC Bouette’s guilty plea meant an accelerated misconduct hearing was organised and he was dismissed on Tuesday (November 4). From his arrest to dismissal and sentencing has taken less than a month, showing our determination to tackle offending by our officers.
PC Bouette will also be added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing, meaning that he will not be allowed to serve as a police officer again”.
The court heard how PC Bouette sent a series of messages that related to the sexual abuse of children on Monday, November 18, 2024.
They also heard that between October 2 and 3, he sent messages via a secure messaging application that related to extreme, violent sexual practices.
The court heard that on November 18, 2024, Bouette sent messages related to the sexual abuse of children, and between October 2 and October 3, 2025, he sent messages about extreme, violent sexual practices via a secure application. Bouette pleaded guilty to the charges on October 9, 2025. He was dismissed from the Met following an accelerated misconduct hearing on November 4, 2025. On November 6, 2025, Bouette received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also added to the College of Policing’s Barred List, preventing future employment as a police officer. Superintendent Lynne Forster commended the swift action, stating that the time from arrest to sentencing was less than a month.
History of Misconduct in the Metropolitan Police
The Metropolitan Police has a history of serious officer misconduct cases, resulting in external scrutiny and reform efforts. The force has faced criticism for its handling of internal complaints, particularly regarding sexual offences and domestic abuse by officers. Notable issues and reviews include The Sarah Everard Murder: The murder of Sarah Everard by Met officer Wayne Couzens in 2021 exposed vetting failures and cultural issues. The Baroness Casey Review This review found hundreds of officers had been “getting away with breaking the law and misconduct” in an interim report in 2022. The final report in 2023 described the force as institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic.
Following the Casey Review, the Met reviewed over 1,000 past allegations of sexual offending or domestic violence against officers and staff between 2012 and 2022, leading to many cases being re-investigated. High-profile cases include David Carrick, a serial rapist officer, and George Patmore, another North East Command officer who pleaded guilty to publishing an obscene article.
Child Protection Failings: Reports have highlighted long-standing failures in child protection policies, with a 2016 report citing failures in protecting children at risk of abuse and victim-blaming.
PC Bouette’s case highlights the Met’s ongoing challenges with officer conduct and its efforts to address serious breaches of professional standards.
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