Lee Cunliffe, 40, of Hindley Green, Wigan, was on duty with the Greater Manchester Police Department (GMP) in September 2020 when he started talking to a woman he believed was the mother of an eight-year-old girl via Instant -Messaging app Kik. Messages to be sent were notified to Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.
Arthur Gibson, prosecutor, said the detective constable used the name “Steve S mancgent1” and told the woman, who was actually an undercover officer for the Met Police, that he was visiting London to sexually abuse her daughter.
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Lee Cunliffe
Police investigation revealed that Cunliffe had sent the messages, including from the IP address of a computer owned by the police at Swinton Police Station, and he was arrested in October 2020, Mr Gibson said.
During a search of his former home in Bolton, officials found a laptop that he had used to access indecent pictures of children, including an “obviously vulnerable” girl who filed a complaint with GMP in 2018, the court said.
Mr Gibson said the girl claimed her boyfriend took naughty pictures of her and distributed them without her knowledge.
Cunliffe, a criminal investigation intern, was assigned to the case and the suspect was arrested and his computer and phone were confiscated.
He later wrote an entry in the criminal record stating that there was nothing related to the crime on either device, the court was notified.
Mr Gibson said, “In fact, both devices contained both still and moving images of children, of which a total of 227 were accessible.”
The computer was returned to the suspect with the indecent pictures and no further action was taken.
Judge Menary said, “What you did about this girl and this case is shocking and goes to the heart of the trust that the public has put into the police force.”
He added: “The consequence for the juvenile complainant is that her complaint has never been properly pursued and she continued to face serious risks of further disclosure.
“The question is, frankly, this: why would you ever trust the police on anything again?”
The court was told that a search of Cunliffe’s laptop also found evidence of files dating from 2014 to 2018 suggesting child abuse.
Mr. Gibson said, “The evidence shows that the defendant had an interest in child pornography and child sexual abuse.
“However, there is some evidence that he realized this and was upset about it.”
A notebook found at Cunliffe’s home had entries stating that he had a sex and porn addiction and was receiving advice.
Julian King defended himself, saying Cunliffe was a married father and had been a police officer for 17 years.
He said Cunliffe went to a psychotherapist who said he had an obsessive-compulsive sexual behavior disorder.
Cunliffe pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to child sexual offenses, perversion of the judiciary, misconduct in public office, disseminating indecent photos of a child, and three cases of indecent photos.
Suzanne Keenaghan, GMP’s Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector, Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said, “Cunliffe intentionally created an online profile with the perverse intent of child sex offense and naughty pictures for his own sexual gratification to have in his possession.
“This kind of insult and abuse is depraved and I hope today’s verdict is a clear and strong warning to those who feel we may commit these crimes behind a computer screen – we will do everything in our power to help you to identify and bring you to justice – regardless of who you are or what you do.
“I encourage anyone affected by this case to contact the police or our partners to report abuse or exploitation so that the relevant authorities can respond.”
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said: “Cunliffe’s actions have been absolutely inexcusable and undermine the core value of the police force, protecting the public and helping those in need.
“We expect our officers and staff to adhere to the highest standards, and Cunliffe’s deplorable behavior fell far short of what was expected of him – he has both abused his position at GMP and tried to get out of his own sexual gratification Act.
“I want to make it clear that it does not reflect our officers who come to work every day and behave with the utmost professionalism and dedication in serving the people of Greater Manchester.
“In all honesty, we will not condone this behavior and we stand ready to take tough action whenever a crime emerges – whether by proactively identifying or responding to reports submitted to us.
“I encourage our officials, employees, and the public to report anything that violates our professional standards.”
Disciplinary measures now follow in accordance with the police code of conduct.
Greater Manchester victim service provides emotional and practical support to anyone involved in crime and is a confidential service. The service can be contacted through the website www.gmvictims.org.uk or by calling 0161 200 1950.
An NSPCC spokesman said: “Cunliffe’s actions were a horrific abuse of his position of trust.
“Through his training and employment in the police force, Cunliffe would have been well aware of the devastating effects sexual abuse can have on children’s lives, but he chose to pursue his own perverse desires nonetheless.
“The NSPCC wants to encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, regardless of when it happened or who the perpetrator was, to speak up and seek support.”
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111. Adults with concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing can call or email the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 [email protected]
