PC who downloaded child sex abuse is spared jail
Eddie MitchellA former police officer has been spared jail after admitting he downloaded a video featuring children as young as nine being sexually abused.
George Voisey was branded "a disgrace" at Lewes Crown Court on Friday after he admitted downloading the Category A footage, the most serious classification for that type of material.
The 24-year-old, from Horsham, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
He will also be on the sex offenders' register for seven years and will have to attend 20 rehabilitation days and put in 150 hours of unpaid work.
Voisey had admitted downloading one Cat A video and two counts of downloading indecent images between 22 June and 24 October last year.
He was arrested and suspended from duty after Sussex Police were alerted to his activity by the National Crime Agency in October.
Investigators found five Category B indecent images and seven Category C indecent images of children on his mobile phone.
Voisey had downloaded the Category A video from the Telegram app and sent it to himself on Snapchat.
He was not on duty at the time of the offences and resigned from the force on 1 March this year.
Judge Stephen Mooney told Voisey: "Up until now you were of good character and had a promising career, all of which you have thrown away.
"You have chosen to seek out images and a video of children being abused.
"Each image or video you look at is a permanent record of a child's life that has been ruined.
"Each is a child in torment and you have contributed to that.
"You are a disgrace."
Sussex Police has referred its investigation to the Independent Office of Police Conduct and will now consider misconduct proceedings against Voisey.
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