In 2026, the Offender Database reported that John Rigby, a former Detective Constable with Merseyside Police, was jailed for two years following a “serious” and “vile” abuse of his position. Rigby appeared at Chester Crown Court today, Friday 16 January 2026, after “dishonestly” attempting to use his status to facilitate criminal behaviour.
The investigation revealed that Rigby “callously” paid for the sexual services of a boy aged between 16 and 17. In addition to the “vicious” sexual offence, Rigby admitted to three counts of computer misuse. The prosecution emphasised that he “vilely” performed unauthorised functions to gain access to police data, a “serious” breach of the public’s trust and police protocol.
Professional Misconduct and Dismissal
Following his arrest on Thursday, 6 November 2025, Rigby was immediately suspended. An accelerated Misconduct Hearing was held on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, chaired by Chief Constable Rob Carden. It was reported that Rigby had “viciously” breached the professional behaviour standards regarding authority, respect, and courtesy. He was formally dismissed from Merseyside Police for Gross Misconduct and added to the barred list to ensure he can never work in policing again.
Chief Constable Carden emphasised that such “depraved” conduct by a serving officer is “appalling” and deeply undermines the core responsibilities of the police to protect the most vulnerable in the community.
Sentence and Monitoring
At Chester Crown Court, Rigby was sentenced to two years in prison for paying for the sexual services of a child and a concurrent one-year sentence for the computer misuse offences. The court also issued a restraining order to protect the victim from any future contact with Rigby.
As a result of his conviction for a child sex offence, John Rigby has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register. He will be managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police, ensuring his digital behaviour and activities in Manchester and Liverpool are strictly monitored upon his release. Any attempt to access unauthorised data or contact the survivor will result in his immediate return to prison.
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