A police officer who searched for extreme pornography and made sexual advances towards two ‘vulnerable’ teenage girls while on duty has been barred from serving for life.
PC Sebastian Sargent received a conditional caution after it emerged he had messaged the two girls, including one he continued contacting for months after she stopped responding.
But searches on his phone revealed he had looked up vile animal porn and videos of unconscious women being raped.
Sargent, who was 23 at the time and based in Lowestoft, resigned from Suffolk Police ahead of a misconduct hearing this week chaired by Norfolk assistant chief constable Nick Davison.
He admitted gross misconduct and Mr Davison said the disgraced former officer would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned.
Noting the women involved were considered vulnerable due to either being intoxicated or legally a child, he said Sargent had ‘demonstrated predatory behaviour’ and had abused his position ‘for sexual purposes’.
‘The public will be shocked and highly disappointed,’ he added.
Sargent joined the force in February 2023 and had been deployed to a nightclub on public order duties in November that year when he met a young woman, referred to Miss A, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, the hearing was told.
PC Sebastian Sargent (pictured) received a conditional caution after it emerged he had made sexual advances towards two ‘vulnerable’ teenage girls
Sargent, who was 23 at the time and based in Lowestoft, resigned from Suffolk Police ahead of a misconduct hearing this week. Pictured: Suffolk Constabulary headquarters
He took down her details and later messaged her on Instagram, saying she was ‘hot’ and ‘looked amazing in your photos x’. He also asked if she was single.
Miss A responded a few times but then stopped – although Sargent continued to message her.
On January 15 last year, Sargent attended an address to check if they had CCTV to assist an investigation and tried to pursue a 17-year-old girl, referred to as Miss B, according to temporary Detective Chief Inspector Richard Weller.
He looked her up on Facebook later the same day, the hearing in Ipswich was told yesterday, and messaged her to say she was ‘cute’ and ask if she was single.
She responded ‘yes’ but pointed out she was 17. He continued calling her ‘gorgeous’ and asked if the age difference would be an issue.
Sargent was given the conditional caution after the incidents came to light before the search of 2,000 lines of internet history on his phone revealed references to ‘bestiality’, the rape videos and legal searches involving ‘women being dominated or abused’.
Sargent – who said he was ‘extremely remorseful’ for what happened and ‘takes full responsibility for what happened – was barred from any role in the police for life, although he can appeal the decision.
