A retired Scots firearms cop has admitted being involved in a three-year plot to share child sexual abuse images with a serving Met Police boss, who died before being charged. Jack Addis appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute or show the revolting material with colleagues.
The 63-year-old is currently serving an 18-month sentence at HMP Dumfries for filming children in the shower and possessing child abuse images over a seven year period. Addis, formerly of Dumfries but now of Blairgowrie, has now admitted the latest charges alongside fellow retired cop Jeremy Laxton, 62.
The twisted duo had planned to share indecent images with Met chief inspector Richard Watkinson, who was found dead at his home in Buckinghamshire in January. He was discovered the day he was due to answer bail to be charged with the conspiracy, as well as three counts of making indecent photos of a child, voyeurism and two counts of misconduct in public office.
His death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious and an inquest has opened and adjourned. According to the charge, the three men conspired to "distribute or show indecent images of children to each other" between January 1, 2018 and July 10, 2021.
The images, which were found on a computer hard drive, included 2,516 in Category A - the worst kind - 1,032 in Category B and 1,701 in Category C. Laxton, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of a prohibited image, possessing an extreme pornographic image and possession of cannabis on or before 20 September 2021.
The images include 6,086 in Category A, 4,039 in Category B, 3,597 in Category C, seven prohibited images of a child and 56 extreme pornographic images which were "grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an extreme character" depicting a person having sex with an animal, according to the indictment.
He further admitted a charge of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of the offence of misconduct in a public office between December 1 2019 and May 1 2021. The court heard Laxton, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark grey suit, has previously pleaded guilty to similar offences at Lincoln Crown Court, while Addis, from Perthshire, is a serving prisoner in Scotland.
Judge Tony Baumgartner adjourned sentencing to a date to be fixed and granted Laxton conditional bail ahead of the next hearing on June 23. The judge said: "A lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable but I will extend bail again to allow him to put his life in order."
His bail conditions include residence at his home address, to surrender his passport and not to apply for documents to travel outside of England and Wales, that he has no contact with children apart from named family members, and to inform police of any digital devices.
At the defendants' first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this year, prosecutor Edward Franklin said some of the images discovered in the investigation were at the "highest end" of Category A.
Commander Jon Savell previously said: "Chief Inspector Watkinson was facing extremely serious and concerning charges, as the result of a painstaking and thorough police investigation. Before this matter came to light, we had no previous information about these allegations or to indicate the officer posed any risk to the public.
"He had not faced any other criminal or conduct matters during his Met career. He had been suspended from duty since his arrest. Two other men were also arrested during the course of the investigation and have been charged, their matters will now progress through the courts."
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Conspiring to share indecent images of children is an abhorrent crime that facilitates abuse and has the potential to harm the victims pictured with every share.
“It is even more shocking when perpetrated by former members of the police, who of all people would have been aware of the devastating impact that sharing child abuse material can have on the victims.
“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.”
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