A Brighton police officer has been sent for trial on child pornography and misconduct charges.
PC Martin Harris, 37, of Perry Hill, Saltdean, is due to appear before a crown court judge on Wednesday 3 January.
Harris was charged with three offences when he appeared before Brighton magistrates yesterday morning (Thursday 30 November).
The officer was charged that “on Tuesday 4 April while acting as a public officer, namely a police officer, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducts yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by using personal information belonging to another, obtained during the course of an investigation, for purposes outside of your role as a police officer contrary to common law”.
He was also charged that “between Sunday 1 January and Tuesday 5 May at Saltdean had in your possession indecent photographs, namely kissing and naked playing, of children”.
And he was charged that “between Sunday 1 January and Tuesday 5 May at Saltdean made an indecent photograph, namely ‘teen nudist family image picture’, … showing one of the girls aged between 14 and 16 with her genitals exposed, an image at category C, of a child”.
Harris was remanded on unconditional bail in the first case of the day heard by magistrates William Murphy, Miles Clarke and Sean Smith.
He has been suspended by Sussex Police.
