After a serving police officer pled guilty to multiple child sexual offences, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has cautioned that further charges will soon come to light.
Today constable Hussain Chehab, who served as a Safer Schools officer in Enfield, pled guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and a further charge of sexual communication with a child. Four additional counts of making indecent photographs of a child have been left to lie on file.
This is the latest in a string of criminal cases facing Met officers this month alone. Chief inspector Richard Watkinson died in ‘unexplained’ circumstances the day he was due to be charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children. Two retired officers were charged with crimes as a result of the same investigation.
A slew of other officers have recently faced similar charges. Constable George Patmore was in court on 21st of December, facing five charges including making indecent images of children. On 5th January, Constable Sam Grigg pled guilty to false imprisonment and assault of a woman in her 20s. On 9th January, Rupert Edwards faced two charges of rape. On 16th January, David Carrick pled guilty 49 offences, including 20 charges of rape.
In the wake of these cases, Commissioner Mark Rowley was warned that more were set to come. “Two or three officers a week” are expected to face charges over the next months, including sexual offences and violence against women and girls. Over 1,000 officers are having charges allegations of violence against women investigated; nearly 150 are facing multiple inquiries.
This the latest example of the crisis facing the Met. The Force was placed in special measures last year. This decision was unprecedented, and the result of a range of scandals, including the Sarah Everard murder, the failures of the Stephen Port investigation, a culture of bullying, and exposés of racism among the officers.
