GMP officer sacked after indecent images of children found

A GMP officer has been dismissed after indecent images of children were found on his devices. Thomas Woods, who admitted to the offences and received a 16-month suspended sentence last year, has now been sacked.

It comes after more than a thousand indecent images, many of which showed sexual acts involving children, were found on his laptop and phones. Woods, who was arrested while serving as a police constable in Salford, pleaded guilty to making and possessing indecent images of children – but he avoided jail.

He resigned before being dismissed on his last working day by the head of GMP. Announcing the decision at an accelerated misconduct hearing on Tuesday (February 14), chief constable Stephen Watson said the case brings the force into disrepute and will diminish public confidence in police officers.

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He said: "PC Woods has engaged in sexually-motivated criminal activities in which he has obtained a perverse pleasure in children. He now stands rightly convicted as a sex offender with his career in ruination.

"He has completely forfeited the trust of the public whom he was sworn to serve. He will stand perpetually unforgiven by the officers and staff whose acts of decency will be tainted.

"PC Woods is hereby dismissed from service with immediate effect."

Woods, who is now barred from serving in any police force, joined GMP in October 2019. After receiving information about potential indecent images, officers attended his home address and seized two phones and a laptop.

Following extensive forensic examination, police recovered more than 1,000 indecent images, many of which showed sexual acts involving children, over a 10-year