Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) -Thomas Thorpe, a former officer in Bromley, Sutton, and Croydon, convicted for sending sexual images to an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl.
He was subsequently found guilty of six child sex offenses, including trying to induce a minor to have sex and trying to have sex with a kid.
He received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) as part of his sentence, which limited his online activity.
Additionally, it had a clause that forbade him from “looking for or taking on any work (voluntary, paid, or otherwise) which will, or is likely to bring the defendant into unsupervised contact with children under the age of sixteen.”
However, Thorpe objected to that clause and attempted to have it overturned by the Court of Appeal.
On Wednesday, July 30, appeal judges rejected Thorpe’s appeal.
Mr Justice Bourne said:
“The risk must be assessed in the context of the judge’s finding that the appellant is dangerous, which was based on detailed findings about his grooming behaviour, the images of which he was in possession, his internet search history which included search terms making very concerning references to sexually violent behaviour with young or “teen” girls and his attitude as revealed by the pre-sentence report.
As a result of those matters there was and is a pressing need to protect young girls from being caused sexual harm by the appellant.”
As a result, Thorpe, officer from Croydon, will continue to be prohibited from dealing with children by a SHPO.
What measures are being taken to prevent misconduct among police officers in Bromley, Sutton, and Croydon?
New rules, effective since May 28, 2025, create a presumption of dismissal for police officers found guilty of gross misconduct.
This means officers guilty of serious offenses—such as sexual offenses or abuse of authority—will almost certainly be sacked unless there are exceptional circumstances. This boosts public confidence that rogue officers will be swiftly removed from service.
The reforms give police chiefs clearer authority and stronger tools to clean out forces of officers unfit to serve. This aims to help tackle abuses of trust quickly and decisively across all departments, including Bromley, Sutton, and Croydon.