A 'disgrace to the uniform' - police officer drove to Rushden to carry out sex offence against girl

A paedophile police officer has been branded a ‘disgrace to the uniform’ after driving to Rushden to carry out a sex offence against a young girl.

Luke Christopher Horner, an officer with Thames Valley Police (TVP), travelled for an hour from his Aylesbury home to meet the 13-year-old in June.

He went on to engage in sexual activity with her and was arrested a short time later before being immediately suspended.

Today (August 3) the 24-year-old appeared at Northampton Crown Court to plead guilty to one count of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15.

He will be sentenced on September 8.

Lead investigator Detective Sergeant Sarah Osborne, from Northamptonshire Police, said: “First of all, I want to thank the family of the young girl in this case who put their trust in us to investigate it and bring Luke Horner to justice.

“I am pleased that he has pleaded guilty today which has prevented them from having to go through the trauma of a trial, and I hope that whilst what happened can never be erased, that this result will allow them to move forward.

“Cases of child sexual exploitation are always abhorrent but the fact that Luke Christopher Horner was a serving Thames Valley police officer, in a position of trust, makes this case all the more shocking.

"He is a disgrace to the uniform and I am glad that he will now go to prison and never be allowed to call himself a police officer ever again.

“Finally, I would like to thank Thames Valley Police for their support and assistance with our investigation.”

Detective Inspector Liam O’Neill added: “The young girl in this case has been subjected to abuse from someone who not only should have known better, but who was sworn to protect the public. We thank the family for their support and hope that this result helps restore some trust in the police.

“This is another example of the great work we are doing in Northamptonshire to protect the public in cases of serious crime committed against children.”