A former Lancashire Constabulary police officer from St. Anne’s has been jailed after indecent images of a young girl were found on his phone during an anti-corruption investigation in May 2023. Choudhury, 44, of Highbury Road East, St Anne’s, admitted making indecent images of a child and misconduct in a public office at Manchester Crown Court.
The 16-month sentence comes after Lancashire Constabulary investigated Police Officer Mohammed Joel Choudhury (pictured), who was based in Preston, and found images of the 16-year-old on his phone, alongside images of a vulnerable woman who had been a victim of crime. The former officer was also made subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.
The images on Choudhury’s phone included:
- Two naked images of a vulnerable 16-year-old girl which he had captured off her phone.
- Five covertly taken images of a vulnerable female victim of crime. The images show the woman’s chest area and were taken by Choudhury in the victim’s living room.
- Two images of a mobile phone lock screen. The lock screen image was a selfie of a naked woman. Enquiries found that Choudhury had captured these images off the mobile phone of the woman’s ex-partner after he had been arrested.
The conviction means Choudhury will also be banned from working in law enforcement for life.
Det Chief Inspector Pete Reil, from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), said: “Choudhury’s behaviour was completely reprehensible and not compatible with anyone who has the privilege of wearing a police uniform. I welcome the sentence handed down today and hope it demonstrates to the public that this behaviour will not be tolerated by Lancashire Constabulary or the courts.
“This was a proactive investigation which came about on the back of concerns raised about Choudhury’s conduct by ACU officers which carrying out enquiries for an unrelated case. Expedited enquiries revealed his truly appalling behaviour committed against victims of crime at a time when they were particularly vulnerable. As a result Choudhury was quickly arrested and suspended from duty.
“I want to make it clear that the overwhelming majority of police officers in Lancashire are law abiding, respectful and go to work to make a difference in the communities in which they serve. Where there is any evidence of wrongdoing by an officer or staff member, our ACU will identify it, investigate it and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to take the appropriate action.”
Choudhury resigned from the force while under investigation earlier this year.
