A detective specialising in investigating child abuse has been jailed for molesting a young girl. DC Chris Maitland, 40, was part of the child sex offences unit at the Metropolitan police. He admitted two counts of sexually touching a girl under 13 years and 12 charges of taking and making indecent images of children, the Met said.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “What makes this case so shocking is that DC Maitland worked in a high-profile unit at the Metropolitan police that was meant to protect vulnerable children from sexual harm. Instead, his deplorable actions have helped fuel an industry that causes untold damage to its young victims – an industry he was trusted with tackling.”

Maitland was originally arrested on 22 November last year on suspicion of the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. On 15 March he was rearrested, after being released on bail, on suspicion of sexual touching. He was charged at a later date. A Met police spokesman said that Maitland had been suspended from duty when the offences were committed.



Maitland was jailed for a total of five years and four months at Southwark crown court.