Former Humberside Police officer jailed for child sex offences

BEHIND BARS: Richard Cammidge

By Rick Lyon

An ex-Humberside Police officer has today been jailed for child sex offences.

Richard Cammidge, 41, has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after pleading guilty to:

• Engaging in sexual communications with a child

• Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child

• Making an indecent photograph of a child

• Failure to comply with a Section 49 notice to disclose the key to protected information.

Cammidge, based in Bridlington, was arrested and suspended by the force in November 2021 when the child sex offence allegations came to light.

Following his arrest, various electronic items were seized from his home address, leading to the discovery of the sexual communications and photograph. Officers were unable to access a mobile phone recovered as Cammidge refused to provide the pin to unlock the device.

A referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and an investigation was launched by the force’s Anti-Corruption Unit, with direction from the IOPC.

Cammidge resigned before an accelerated misconduct hearing was heard, in private to protect the criminal investigation, where the Misconduct Panel Chair found his actions amounted to gross misconduct. Had he not already resigned, Cammidge would have been immediately dismissed and placed on the College of Policing Barred list.

Humberside Police Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “Richard Cammidge’s actions were inexcusable and utterly appalling.

“Any sexual offence committed against another person is horrifying, but committing these abhorrent crimes as a police officer and against a child is absolutely deplorable.

“We are here to protect the vulnerable in our society and make them feel safe, two aspects of policing that Cammidge quite clearly disregarded to allow for his own perversities.

“We will not allow those that bring policing into disrepute, and undermine the good work our officers and staff carry out on a daily basis, to be in policing or to get away with any form of criminality.

“Action is being taken, and will continue, to ensure individuals are rooted out and to allow the public to have confidence and trust in their police force.”