by Alan Quick

A FORMER police officer from Crediton who was trapped by US law enforcement agents posing as a 13-year-old girl has been sentenced for posting indecent images online.

Jonathan Fulcher was a serving Police Constable in Exeter when he posted pictures of himself in uniform and images of his genitals on an internet chat room.

Fulcher (34), admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

At Exeter Crown Court on Wednesday, September 27, he was sentenced for eight months, suspended for two years, given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years for making indecent images of a child between June 2010 and October 2016.

He was also charged for the possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, namely two bullets and PAVA incapacitating spray.

Fulcher was ordered to attend a sex offenders treatment programme and undertake 20 days rehabilitation activities.

Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC spared him an immediate jail sentence after the judge was told Fulcher suffers from bipolar disorder which made him "feel invincible" and drew him to risk-taking behaviour.

A total of 290 indecent images of children were found on Fulcher’s computer. Four were classed as category A - the most serious type of abuse image - the court was told.

Nine were in the second-highest category, and 277 were category C images.

The judge told him the offences "are all the more serious because you were a serving police officer at the time".

He said he had "no doubt" about giving Fulcher a suspended sentence.

"You have lost your career and your marriage and your personal life is in disarray, but above all I have read reports on your mental health," he said.

Fulcher was suspended from duty as a serving police officer in Exeter at the start of the criminal investigation.

A Special Case Hearing was held before Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer on July 3, 2017 and Fulcher was dismissed from the police service without notice.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Middleton said on the day of the court case: “Jonathan Fulcher has acted in a wholly inappropriate and criminal manner for which he has been sentenced at court today.

“As soon as these allegations came to light, Fulcher was suspended from duty and a full investigation launched. He has now been dismissed from the police service.

“Devon and Cornwall Police expects the highest ethical and professional conduct from all officers and staff operating within the Force, and robustly investigates misconduct and allegations of criminal offences.

“The vast majority of our staff demonstrate commitment on a daily basis to these professional standards and the Force’s obligation to instil public confidence in the police service. Fulcher’s actions have fallen well below these standards and his behaviour has let the police service and the public down."