Retired Met Police officer Jeremy Laxton, from Grantham, jailed over plot to share child sex abuse images

A retired Metropolitan Police officer from Grantham has been jailed for his part in a plot to share indecent images of children with a serving chief inspector, who was found dead before he was charged.

Jeremy Laxton, from Grantham, Jack Addis and Richard Watkinson were said to have exchanged material with each other on a computer hard drive between January 2018 and July 2021, containing thousands of indecent images. More than 2,000 of the images were category A, the most extreme kind.

Watkinson, 49, who was a serving chief inspector for neighbourhood policing at the Met’s West Area Command Unit, was found dead in Buckinghamshire on January 12 – the same day he was due to answer bail to be charged with conspiracy to distribute indecent photographs of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, voyeurism and two counts of misconduct in public office.

Grantham man Laxton, 63, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, possession of prohibited images of a child, possession of extreme pornographic images, and intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence of misconduct in a public office.

He was sentenced today (Friday) at Southwark Crown Court to five years and nine months in prison.

Addis, who is from Perthshire but is currently a serving prisoner in Scotland, was jailed for three years and nine months. He admitted conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children.

Speaking after Laxton and Addis pleaded guilty in May, Commander Jon Savell, head of professionalism in the Met, said: “The content that these men had been viewing has been described by seasoned specialist investigators as some of the most serious that they had ever seen.

“We must never forget that in each video or picture is a real child victim who has suffered unimaginable abuse. The effects of child sexual abuse are often traumatic and life-long, and Laxton and Addis both sought sexual gratification from that suffering.

“As a police service we strive to protect the most vulnerable members of society, especially children, and I know officers who served with them will feel utterly betrayed by their disgusting actions. We are sickened that they are former colleagues.”

Their time in court followed a lengthy and complex investigation by Met specialist crime officers in liaison with Police Scotland and Lincolnshire Police.

Laxton was arrested in September 2021 and Addis in November 2021. They were later released on bail.

Their homes were searched extensively and a wealth of computer equipment was seized for specialist examination.

Officers discovered thousands of pornographic images and videos of children, of which 2,516 were graded as Category A, depicting the most serious levels of violence and sexual abuse. A further 1,032 Category B and 1,701 Category C images/videos, and six extreme pornographic images, some involving bestiality, were also found.

Laxton was also found to have in his own collection over 6,000 Category A, 4,039 Category B and 3,597 Category C images/videos, seven prohibited images and 56 extreme pornographic images.

The images and videos had been shared via hard drives that they would post among each other and hide in concealed spaces in their homes.

The NSPCC has issued a statement following today’s sentencing.

In it, the child protection charity said: “It is deeply troubling that Addis and Laxton, whose roles as police offers were to enforce the law and protect the most vulnerable in society, conspired together to share images of children being sexually abused.

“This is compounded by the fact they would have been well aware that the impact of child sexual abuse on victims can be devastating and long-lasting.

“Adults who are concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can speak to a trained child protection specialist at the NSPCC Helpline via help@nspcc.org.uk, while Childline is there for young people on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk”