In 2026, the Offender Database reported that Aiden Love, then 34, of Halkirk, Highland, was sentenced for predatory online activity targeting a child. Love, a former police officer with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), appeared at Wick Sheriff Court where he was sentenced for making indecent sexual communications and causing a 12-year-old girl to view a sexual image.
The investigation established that in March 2025, Love contacted the girl on social media while masquerading as a 14-year-old boy from Inverness, Highland. Despite the victim explicitly stating she was 12 or 13 years old, the defendant relentlessly pursued her for explicit material. The prosecution reported that while the interactions began innocently, Love eventually coerced the child into sending face and body photographs. At the time of his offending, Love was working as a police officer at the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Love resigned from the force prior to his sentencing. A misconduct hearing held by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary described the case as “shocking” and noted that the public would be “rightly appalled” by his behaviour. The judge noted that Love’s decision to use a fraudulent persona to bypass the victim’s age was a calculated and predatory tactic. The prosecution, supported by Police Scotland, emphasised that his position as a serving officer made his actions a grave breach of professional and moral standards.
The judge noted that the defendant’s conduct was a deliberate attempt to exploit a minor for his own gratification. The prosecution emphasised that the victim had initially resisted his advances before eventually relenting under pressure. For his crimes in Caithness and Highland, the court determined that a lengthy community-based penalty and mandatory placement on the register were necessary to manage the risk he poses to the community.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Scotland, Aiden Love was handed:
- Community Order: A three-year Community Payback Order.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for an indefinite period.
- Professional Barring: Added to the College of Policing Barred List following a misconduct finding.
- Convictions: Admitted to making an indecent sexual communication and causing a child to look at a sexual image.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Love is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland and the Probation Service. Due to his background in law enforcement and his use of a fake identity to groom a 12-year-old, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Love must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his residence in Halkirk, Highland. Authorities state that he is permanently prohibited from serving in any UK police force. Any breach of his registration conditions, his community payback order, or further criminal activity will result in his immediate arrest and return to Wick Sheriff Court.
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