In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that then 54-year-old Lee Tatton—of Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent—was jailed for his involvement in child sex offences. The investigation established that Tatton, a serving PC with Staffordshire Police based at the Northern Resolution Centre, utilized his position of trust while leading a “sinister” double life. The prosecution reported that he was arrested in December 2019 by the Operation Safenet team, a specialist unit dedicated to tackling online child exploitation.
The investigation established that Tatton had previously gained public recognition as a response officer featured in the documentary Cops UK: Bodycam Squad. However, the prosecution reported that behind this professional image, he was engaging in “vile” criminal activity. He was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and four counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, highlighting a “predatory” misuse of digital technology.
Judicial Findings and Breach of Trust
The court reported that Tatton’s actions represented a “grave” breach of the oath he took as a police officer. The investigation established that as soon as his “stomach-churning” activities were uncovered, he was immediately suspended from the force. The prosecution reported that during the sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on 2 November 2020, the judge emphasized that his background in law enforcement aggravated the “vile” nature of his digital conduct.
Judge-led proceedings at Birmingham Crown Court concluded with Tatton being sentenced to six months in prison. For his actions in Stoke-on-Trent and the nature of the “serial” exploitation reported, he was also required to register as a sex offender. The judge noted that while the custodial term was relatively short, the permanent loss of his career and his inclusion on the sex offenders register served as a necessary measure for public protection and accountability.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Birmingham Crown Court in 2020:
- Custodial Status: SERVED (Sentenced to 6 months in 2020; custodial term completed).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active (Duration determined by the final sentence and statutory guidelines).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; Making indecent photographs of a child x4).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court; investigated by Staffordshire Police Operation Safenet.
- Criminal Record: Former PC featured on Bodycam Squad; Attempted to groom a child via digital communication; Arrested by his own force’s specialist unit.
- Origin: Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Tatton is managed as a registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Staffordshire. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “abuse of a high-profile law enforcement position to facilitate child exploitation”—he remains a priority for digital monitoring. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensured Tatton was formally dismissed from Staffordshire Police and added to the barred list to prevent any future access to positions of authority.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Tatton’s history identifies him as an individual who prioritised his own “deviant” desires over the safety of the public he was sworn to protect. Any failure by Tatton to notify police of his residency in Stoke-on-Trent or elsewhere, or any unauthorised digital activity, will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a serving police officer who used his public image to mask his crimes, do you believe that “Abuse of Police Authority” should legally trigger a mandatory minimum 5-year sentence for any officer convicted of a child sex offence?
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