Former Bedfordshire Police officer jailed after targeting vulnerable teenage girls

Elliot Wright, 29 from Henlow, Bedfordshire, was working as an officer in the collaborated Roads Policing Unit when he arranged to meet a teenage girl who was at risk after finishing a shift on March 21 this year.

At the time, the girl, from Hertfordshire, was subject to a ‘deprivation of liberty order’ for her own safety.

Staff at her care home contacted police when they saw her getting into a car, and officers were able to track down Wright’s vehicle near his home in Bedfordshire a short time later and arrested him.

The victim told officers Wright had asked her to delete his messages before he was stopped.

Following his arrest by Hertfordshire Constabulary officers, detectives traced potential further victims on his social media, including a 16-year-old girl he had paid in return for sexual images.

An investigation into Wright, led by Hertfordshire Constabulary, showed he had been aware she was vulnerable and often needed money to buy food. He offered her £3 on one occasion for images.

He was charged and was immediately suspended by Bedfordshire Police at the time of his arrest. He had his vetting removed and was dismissed from the force in July.

Wright pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, arranging the sexual exploitation of a child, abduction of a child in care, paying for the sexual services of a child and perverting the course of justice. A further charge of misconduct in a public office, which he denied, was ordered to lay on his file.

He was sentenced by a High Court judge at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday (October 16) to a total of 42 months, and will serve half his sentence in prison and the second half on licence. Wright was also granted an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Inspector Fay Tooley, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Safeguarding Command, said: “Firstly, I would like to praise both victims who have been incredibly brave and cooperative throughout this difficult period. They have been supported by specialist child sexual exploitation officers throughout the investigation.”

Det Insp Tooley added: “Elliot Wright has brought shame on the policing profession. His victims needed help and support, and he offered the opposite.

“Instead, Wright exploited their vulnerability for his own sexual gratification and abused his position of trust.

“The public rightly expects the highest level of personal standards and professional behaviour by police officers, and Wright has undermined this.

“I hope today’s custodial sentence provides some reassurance that we take these cases seriously and will always provide full support and seek to bring offenders to justice.

“Being a victim of sexual offences is never your fault and we have specially trained officers on hand to help.”