Paedophile copper dismissed from police force

Detective Constable Brian Rouse, who was based at The Mount prison in Bovingdon, pleaded guilty to four charges of making indecent images of children at Aylesbury Crown Court last month.

Rouse, from Watford, was dismissed from Hertfordshire Constabulary without notice following the hearing at force headquarters in Welwyn Garden City yesterday (Wednesday, April 13).

The 48-year-old was arrested last year after his details emerged during an investigation into online child abuse, which also involved the National Crime Agency.

The offences occurred between January 2010 and July 2015.

As well as the prison sentence, Rouse has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years and is the subject of a Sex Offenders Prevention Order, which will also run for seven years.

Following the misconduct hearing, a spokesman for the force said: “Hertfordshire Constabulary is committed to ensuring that its officers and staff uphold the highest standards of integrity and that we are accountable to the public we serve.

“Where those standards are not met, it is right that a full investigation takes place and appropriate action taken.

“In the case of Brian Rouse, his conduct fell way below what is expected in Hertfordshire.”