Former police officer avoids jail for downloading indecent images of children as young as one

A former police officer with West Mercia Police has avoided jail after more than 140 indecent images were found on devices in his home.

Jamie Bunting, a 6-foot man with dark receding hair, was a serving police officer based at Kidderminster Police Station when he was amassing his sick images and movies of children, a court heard on Thursday.

The 27-year-old, who appeared in the dock dressed in a smart blue suit with a holdall in hand, was also a cadet leader for North Worcestershire Volunteer Police Cadets.

But Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that over a two year period from July 5, 2021 to July 30 last year, Bunting had accumulated more than 140 pictures and videos of children, stored on a tablet, phone and laptop.

The court heard that 24 of the files were of the most serious Category A type and featured horrific abuse of children aged as young as one.