A senior Metropolitan Police officer facing child porn offences has reportedly been found dead at home. Chief Inspector Richard Watkinson had been arrested in July 2021 after a raid on his address in Buckinghamshire uncovered a stash of indecent images, pairs of boys' underwear and sex toys hidden away behind a trap door at the property .
The shock discovery followed a joint investigation into Watkinson by the Met and force watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The images uncovered on his computer equipment were said to be Category A and B, meaning they depicted abuse of the worst levels.
The 49-year-old's initial arrest was on 'suspicion of misconduct, sending obscene messages, corrupt exercise of police powers and data protection breaches'. He was subsequently re-arrested 11 days later on suspicion of further offences which included conspiracy to 'distribute indecent images of children, voyeurism and misconduct in public office'.
