In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 30-year-old Stacey Pool—formerly Nicholas Pool, a serving police officer—was released from prison following a conviction for child sexual offences. Pool, previously based near Penrith, Cumbria, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court after being caught in an undercover police sting. It was reported that the investigation into Pool’s conduct established that she had used her position of trust to target a child, unaware that she was communicating with law enforcement.
The investigation established that Pool engaged in online chats with an individual she believed to be a 12-year-old girl, attempting to arrange a physical meeting. Carlisle Crown Court heard that during the exchange, the decoy explicitly stated her age was 12, to which Pool responded by questioning if 28 was too old. The prosecution reported that Pool displayed a chilling awareness of her actions, messaging the decoy to be careful of “pedos” and remarking that she would go to jail if she dated a 12-year-old.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that a subsequent search of Pool’s computer uncovered a collection of child abuse images, including those in Category A. Carlisle Crown Court heard that Pool pleaded guilty to nine counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as making and possessing indecent photographs and publishing an obscene article. The investigation established that upon her release after serving half of a three-and-a-half-year sentence, Pool appeared in court to alter licence conditions under her new identity.
Following the application at Carlisle Crown Court, Pool’s Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was updated to require her to inform police within three days of acquiring any internet-enabled device. For her actions in Cumbria and Middlesbrough, she was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and remains subject to an indefinite SHPO. The judge noted that the betrayal of her oath as a police officer necessitated a permanent bar from working with children or vulnerable adults.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Cumbria and Teesside, the status of Stacey Pool as of April 6, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served half of a 3.5-year term; sentenced 2017; released 2018).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order active.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Inciting a child to sexual activity; Making and possessing indecent images; 11+ counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court; investigated by Cumbria Constabulary.
- Criminal Record: Attempted meeting with a 12-year-old; Possession of Category A images; Betrayal of police office; Use of multiple digital platforms for grooming.
- Origin: Middlesbrough (Current); formerly Newton Rigg, near Penrith, Cumbria.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Pool is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Middlesbrough area following her relocation from Cumbria. Due to the nature of her conduct—specifically the use of her previous professional status to mask predatory behavior—her management is a critical priority for the Cleveland Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that her history of inciting a child while acknowledging the legal consequences indicates a high level of calculated risk-taking.
As a registered sex offender for life, the then 30-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that her updated SHPO includes the most rigorous digital monitoring requirements, mandating that all hardware used for internet access be disclosed to police within 72 hours. Any failure to notify police of her movements in Middlesbrough, any attempt to access unauthorized communication platforms, or any proximity to minors will result in immediate arrest and recall to prison to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from her demonstrated pattern of predatory persistence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a serving police officer who explicitly acknowledged that her actions would lead to jail, do you believe that “Premeditated Breach of Public Trust” should carry a mandatory whole-life tariff for sexual offences against children?
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