Locations
Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16
Description
A SHAMED police constable who resigned days before pleading guilty to owning extreme pornography won a Thames Valley Police award for his community work.
Craig Finch, 38, was described as a reliable, highly respected and an invaluable colleague when he topped the Oxfordshire category in the forces Community Policing Awards in 2020.
The St Aldates police station-based constable was decorated for his work with the citys homeless. He was said to have built up trust with those who feel injustice or have a lack of confidence in the police.
The citation was removed from the force's website following his conviction, a spokesman said.
Finch, from Banbury, appeared before High Wycombe Magistrates Court today, pleading guilty to a single count of possession of extreme pornographic material.
By law, extreme pornography is material that is grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character.
It can include videos or images showing acts that threaten a persons life, depictions of rape, sexual acts that involve serious injury, intercourse with a corpse or sexual activity between a person and animal.
Court documents show Finch had been charged with possession on November 24 last year in Banbury of an SD memory card containing five videos that portrayed in an explicit and realistic way an act which resulted or was likely to result in serious injury to a persons private parts.
Any reasonable person would think that the person in the image was real, the charge added.
The offence with which he has been charged carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment. A defendant is only placed on the sex offender register if they receive a jail sentence of more than two years.
Finch will be sentenced on September 19 at High Wycombe Magistrates Court.
Thames Valley Police said the officer had resigned on Wednesday, two days before his court appearance. He had been suspended from duty since November last year.
A misconduct hearing was held behind closed doors on Thursday in front of Chief Constable John Campbell. The chief constable found Finch guilty of gross misconduct and would have fired him had the officer not resigned. He will be placed on the National Police Chief Council's barred list.
Following Finchs conviction at High Wycombe Magistrates Court, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: Whenever an officer is accused of breaking the law we will investigate thoroughly and where evidence is found it will be presented it to the Crown Prosecution Service.
It is entirely unacceptable to myself, to the force, as well as to the public for someone who is supposed to uphold the law and protect others, to have committed such an offence and remain an officer.