A Greater Manchester Police officer, Christopher Dunn from Salford, exploited his authority by gathering thousands of images of female officers and police cadets as young as 12, thereafter publishing altered sexualised images on depraved paedophile websites, a court was informed.
Christopher Dunn, 33, was informed that his conduct had ‘eroded public trust in Greater Manchester Police,’ resulting in a sentence of four years and four months in prison.
During his tenure as a cadet leader, Christopher Dunn maintained a ‘second life,’ capturing images of young and frequently ‘vulnerable’ cadets for his personal sexual gratification.
At times, he altered images of young girls to sexualise them before disseminating them on online platforms for the gratification of other paedophiles.
He similarly targeted adult female police officers by either photographing them or sourcing images from social media, occasionally altering them before to posting on depraved pornography websites.
Manchester Crown Court was informed that Christopher Dunn, a resident of Salford, had been accumulating hundreds of photos of women since commencing full-time employment at GMP in January 2014, systematically organising them into folders on his computer.
He had already performed the same task prior to his employment at GMP, while he was employed at the Trafford Centre.
Christopher Dunn amassed photographs of 46 ladies ranging in age from 12 to 44.
His misconduct was revealed following the activation of an alert due to his upload of obscene photographs of minors.
Upon examination of his computers and mobile phones, it was discovered that he possessed over 100,000 indecent photographs of children.
Following his arrest, Dunn stated: “I am not akin to those paedophiles who molest children.” They disgust me.
He stated, “My life is essentially over.” It is finished; there is no return from this situation.
A judge stated that Christopher Dunn’s offences had ‘eroded the integrity of the police force’ and compromised the confidence of GMP.
During sentencing, Mr. Justice Bryan stated: “You occupied a position of trust and responsibility concerning young and frequently vulnerable police cadets.”
You violated that trust by collecting images of them for your own personal pleasure and disseminating them on paedophilic websites for the sexual satisfaction of those who share your perverse interest in young females.
“The young cadets will bear the consequences of your actions for the remainder of their lives.”
The judge stated: “Your conduct has inflicted enduring harm on your colleagues and their families.”
“It is nearly inconceivable that an individual could have disseminated fabricated images of their colleagues and their children on pornographic websites, yet that is precisely what you have accomplished.”
The judge described the comments from victims as ‘difficult reading’, noting that they expressed feelings of ‘humiliation and violation’.
The court was informed that Christopher Dunn, possessing no prior convictions, obtained a degree in computing in 2007.
Later that year, he secured employment at the Trafford Centre, where he amassed 998 images from social media of an adult woman with whom he was acquainted with his occupation.
During the prosecution, Rob Hall stated that it was not a criminal act, but it ‘foreshadowed’ subsequent events.
In February 2009, Dunn was appointed as a special constable at GMP. He reportedly excelled and received a nomination for the Special Constabulary Annual Gala Award.
Simultaneously, he amassed 1,800 photographs of three additional adult ladies, whom he recognised from his previous employment at the Trafford Centre.
In May 2012, he attempted and failed to enlist in GMP as a full-time officer, a process that placed him among female police officers.
Beginning the subsequent year, Christopher Dunn commenced gathering photographs of women and girls with whom he was acquainted via the Trafford Centre, GMP, or the cadets.
Upon becoming a full-time student police officer in January 2014, he continued to gather photographs of co-workers while also downloading indecent images of minors.
He commenced his collection of photographs of police cadets in November 2015. A significant number of the cadets reportedly were from ‘dysfunctional households’ and were deemed ‘susceptible’.
In May 2017, Christopher Dunn commenced a relationship with a fellow police officer. She remained oblivious to his clandestine existence, while he persisted in his transgressions throughout their partnership.
Upon ascending to the position of cadet commander, Christopher Dunn received a GMP award in acknowledgement of his ‘passion and dedication’ to his responsibilities, while the force remained oblivious to his transgressions.
He persisted in exploiting his position, accumulating hundreds of photographs of his victims.
In October of the previous year, Christopher Dunn disseminated an indecent image of a minor, prompting an internet notification to the authorities.
However, he persisted in his detrimental behaviour.
In February, law enforcement executed a warrant at Christopher Dunn’s residence, where he reportedly exhibited signs of nervousness. He was officially dismissed from GMP in May.
In interviews, he informed detectives that he had been addicted to legal pornography from the age of 16 and developed an interest in illegal pornography by 2013.
He stated that he had cultivated a dual personality, one visible to the public and the other concealed online.
Christopher Dunn also confessed to have taped films of girls at his neighbourhood store.
Christopher Dunn expressed contrition and indicated a need for assistance, stating: “I regret the events that have transpired and I intend to utilise this situation to effectuate change.”
Christopher Dunn amassed over 3,600 photographs of police cadets and in excess of 7,500 images of coworkers.
He had downloaded over 20,000 indecent photographs of children, along with an additional 100,000 indecent images that authorities stated were unclassified due to a lack of public interest in pursuing them.
In his defence, Colin Buckle stated that Dunn had ‘social awkwardness’ during his youth and struggled to sustain ‘age-appropriate’ relationships with women.
According to Mr. Buckle, while at university, Dunn resided at home and refrained from interacting with peers, opting instead for illicit pornography.
Mr. Buckle stated that Christopher Dunn’s parents were absent from the courtroom for his sentencing because they ‘cannot confront the gravity of his situation.’
Police Inspector Natasha Evans informed the court that the ‘most distressing’ consequence of Christopher Dunn’s misconduct was a young cadet’s declaration that they would refrain from contacting the police in times of need due to a lack of trust.
Christopher Dunn, residing on Moss Lane in Swinton, admitted guilt to six charges of producing indecent photos of minors, two charges of misconduct in a public office, and two charges of possessing indecent images for distribution.
He will be required to register as a sex offender for life and is permanently prohibited from interacting with vulnerable children or adults.
Following the hearing, Amanda Rowe, regional director of the Independent Office of Police Conduct overseeing the inquiry, stated: “The court has acted promptly in incarcerating Christopher Dunn for these egregious and grave offences.”
“By supervising this investigation conducted by Greater Manchester Police, our collaborative efforts have guaranteed that this former officer, who was unfit for public service, no longer poses a threat to the local community.”
“Christopher Dunn’s conduct does not embody the integrity of diligent, honest law enforcement, and the public can be assured that his behaviour is unacceptable in any police department.”
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