Decorated police officer spared prison over video of child abuse
A HIGHLY decorated police officer who had a child abuse video on her phone has avoided a jail term but has been told her career is all but over.
Novlett Robyn Williams, a former superintendent who was commended for her work after the Grenfell Tower disaster, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 200 hours of community service for possession of an indecent image, following a trial.
The court heard 54-year-old Williams received the video from her older sister, co-defendant Jennifer Hodge, via WhatsApp.
The court accepted Williams did not view the material, although jurors were not convinced by Williams’ claim she was unaware of its presence on her phone. Williams, of south London, showed no emotion as sentence was passed down by Judge Richard Marks QC, who said: “You have had a stellar career in the police force over 30 years.”
She earned a Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service in 2003.
Scotland Yard said Williams remains on restricted duties, though she could yet end up losing her career pending a misconduct investigation.
Williams faced a second charge, of corrupt or improper exercise of police powers and privilege by failing to notify officers about the video, but was found not guilty by jurors.
Hodge, 56, of Brent in northwest London, was found guilty of distributing an indecent image of a child, actions she told the court were intended to find the abuser responsible. She was sentenced to 100 hours’ community service.
The court heard she was sacked as a social worker with Scope following her arrest.
Her long-term boyfriend, Dido Massivi, 61, also of Brent, was convicted of two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
He was handed an 18-month sentence for each offence, to run concurrently, and suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours’ community service. The court heard he was sacked as a bus driver, his job for 20 years, after being arrested.