Policeman groomed girl aged 13 to expose herself on webcam

A POLICE officer who encouraged a 13-year-old girl to expose herself for him over a webcam was jailed for 30 months yesterday.

Russell West, 26, a former Essex police constable, told the Scottish girl he wanted to sleep with her, sent her an image of himself and tried to get her to pose for more explicit pictures.

West induced her to expose her chest and attempted to get her to show her private parts.

He admitted last month to having indecent conversations with the girl between October 2008 and April 2009.

West, who has since resigned from the police, made no attempts to meet the girl, from Clackmannanshire.

Temporary judge Michael O'Grady imposed an extended sentence yesterday. when West, a first-offender, appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He jailed West for two and a half years and ordered him to be supervised for a further three years when he is released from prison.

The judge said: "In recent years, the courts have made it abundantly clear that offences of a sexual nature against children will be regarded as extremely serious and punished accordingly."

He said the offence took place over a fairly lengthy period and involved a "young and self-evidently vulnerable girl".

Judge O'Grady also pointed to the lengths West went to cover his tracks, and said: "It is clear that you still present a risk and that has to be addressed."

Thomas Ross, defending, said West was with Essex Police for almost six years, from 2003 until his arrest last year.

The court heard that he was involved in undercover work and received a commendation for helping in a major drugs case.

"He's a person who, on a daily basis, put his personal safety at risk for the good of the law-abiding community," said Mr Ross.

He added that West has had a "very uncomfortable time" in Glasgow's Barlinnie prison so far and has regularly faced the possibility of being attacked.

West targeted the girl after meeting her on an internet chatroom, where he used the name "Fit Essex Guy". In messages, the girl referred to herself as 13 and at school.

West had used a pay-as-you-go Sim card to browse the internet, but investigating officers were able to make a trace to a computer modem he used and which he had bought on a credit card in Southend.

Police went to his home in Rochford, in Essex, and seized computer equipment.

The investigation into West was part of a major inquiry, codenamed Operation Defender, into internet sex offences against children.

The judge backdated the sentence to 19 October last year, when West was first taken into custody. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Mr West has resigned and is no longer a member of Essex Police."