A FORMER South Warwickshire police sergeant has been jailed for a total of nine years and two months after admitting a number of sexual offences against a child.

The offences occurred over a 10-year period between October 31 2004 and June 23 2014.

Forty-two year old Christopher Cambray from Shrewley in Warwickshire appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday November 27 for sentencing of six charges.

They included paying for sexual services with a male child aged between 16 and 17; two counts of sexual activity with a male child aged 13 to 17; two counts of making indecent photographs of a male child and one count of taking an indecent photograph of a male child.

Cambray, a former patrol sergeant with Warwickshire Police, pleaded guilty to six sexual offences when he appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on September 9 this year. He was arrested in September 2014 and first appeared in court in April 2015. During this period he was suspended from duty and faced an internal misconduct process.

In July this year Cambray was dismissed at a special case hearing chaired by Chief Constable Martin Jelley. The hearing was held in private to prevent any disruption to the outstanding criminal proceedings.

Det Ch Insp Vikki Reay said: "Throughout the investigation, our key concern has been the welfare, protection and wellbeing of the children involved.

"Ensuring that those who commit crimes are brought to justice is our overriding focus, second only to preventing crime from happening in the first place. That's how we best serve our communities and it is essential to maintaining public trust and confidence."

Det Supt Gary Watson said: "All our officers and staff are subject to the highest scrutiny and vetting in advance of starting a job with us. They are privileged to hold a public office and the standard expected of them as a result is continually emphasized to them.

"It is distressing for all concerned when one of those officers is found guilty of a crime that is amongst one of the most challenging and incomprehensible with which we deal. Our thoughts are completely focused on the victims at this time.

"As soon as we became aware of these offences, we took action to bring Christopher Cambray to justice, standing him down from his duties whilst the investigation and trial process took place."

"We would like to reassure the public that the great majority of people in policing act with honesty and integrity."

On his eventual release from prison, Cambray will be subject to notification requirements for life when he will need to notify the police where he is living.

In passing the sentence, Judge Wall QC also ordered a Sexual Harm Prevention Order prohibiting unsupervised contact with any child under 18 years of age, for life.