In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 55-year-old David Gunn—formerly of Chipping Norton—was convicted of making indecent images of children following a “disturbing” National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. Gunn appeared at Reading Crown Court where he was unanimously found guilty of five counts of making indecent images. It was reported that the investigation established Gunn, a former front enquiry office worker for Thames Valley Police, operated under the online persona ‘smokepig’ to access child sexual abuse streams.
The investigation established that in August 2015, Gunn invited other users in a chatroom to watch him abuse a fictional eight-year-old nephew. The prosecution reported that Gunn attempted to justify his actions by claiming he was acting as a “vigilante” to trap other offenders. Reading Crown Court heard that Gunn failed to provide any notes or evidence of this supposed plan and never reported any of the users he allegedly “trapped” to law enforcement.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Gunn’s claims of being a self-appointed investigator were entirely fabricated to mask his “predatory interest” in viewing pre-recorded abuse. The investigation established that his role within Thames Valley Police gave him an understanding of police procedures, yet he bypassed all official channels. The prosecution reported that NCA officers arrested Gunn in June 2016 at his home in Bull Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, after forensic examinations of his electronic devices proved his active participation in streaming rooms.
Judge-led proceedings at Reading Crown Court concluded with Gunn being convicted on all counts, with sentencing scheduled for November 16, 2018. For his actions in Chipping Norton and Stratford-upon-Avon, he was identified as an individual who actively sought out and encouraged the distribution of child abuse material. The judge noted that the rise of digital technology allows offenders like Gunn to feel anonymous, but the NCA’s ability to track his ‘smokepig’ persona ensured he was brought to justice.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, the status of David Gunn as of April 10, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED ON LICENCE (Sentenced to prison in November 2018; served custodial term; currently under supervision).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Subject to an INDEFINITE Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Including total bans on using chatrooms, strict digital monitoring, and a ban on using aliases like ‘smokepig’).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; barred from all police and civil service roles).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Making indecent images of children x5).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Reading Crown Court; investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
- Criminal Record: Former Thames Valley Police worker; Used alias ‘smokepig’ to watch abuse streams; Invited others to watch him abuse a fictional child; Claimed to be a vigilante to evade prosecution.
- Origin: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire (Conviction); Stratford-upon-Avon (Arrest residence).
Monitoring and Public Protection
Gunn is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Stratford-upon-Avon area. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “calculated use of an online persona to facilitate abuse” and his “misuse of his background in police enquiry”—his management is a priority for the NCA and local Public Protection Units. Authorities state that his history of inventing a child to lure other predators identifies him as an individual who requires the most intensive tier of forensic digital oversight, including unannounced inspections of his internet-enabled devices.
As a registered sex offender for life, the 63-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his conviction as a former police staff member underscores that “no one is above the law.” Any change of residence in Stratford or elsewhere, any attempt to access the dark web, or any unauthorised use of digital aliases will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who demonstrated a persistent and “deceptive intent” to engage with child abuse material.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a former police worker who claimed to be “trapping” others, do you believe that “Vigilante Defences” should be legally barred from being used in court for any offence involving the possession of child abuse material?
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