This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A detective working in a child abuse investigation unit has been charged with child sex offences.

Metropolitan police detective constable Chris Maitland, 40, who works in the force’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, faces 14 charges in total, Scotland Yard said.

He will appear at Westminster magistrates court on Friday to answer two charges of sexual touching of a girl aged under 13, five of taking an indecent image of a child and seven of making an indecent image of a child.

Maitland, who is in custody, was originally arrested in November on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children and arrested again on Tuesday on suspicion of sexual touching, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

Maitland has been suspended from duty.