A Merseyside police detective who admitted paying a 17-year-old boy for sex has been dismissed from the force without notice. DC John Rigby, 37, pleaded guilty to criminal charges and is currently on remand in prison awaiting sentencing.
The accelerated misconduct hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Rob Carden, found Rigby guilty of gross misconduct. Carden stated that paying for sexual services from a child is 'wholly inconsistent with the values and behaviours that should be demonstrated by a police officer in the 21st century'. He emphasised that such actions bring policing nationally into disrepute.
Rigby pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates' Court in November to paying for sexual services of a male child aged 16 or 17, knowing the boy was 17. He also admitted unauthorised access to the force's computer system on three occasions in March and April 2025 to obtain information on two males, with no policing purpose.
The misconduct report noted that Rigby's actions were deliberate and that no mitigation was provided. His name has been added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing future employment in policing. Det Ch Supt Sarbjit Kaur, head of the force's professional standards department, confirmed his salary was stopped upon remand and stressed that the force will not allow individuals to damage the reputation built by the majority of officers.
Rigby is due to be sentenced at a crown court on 16 January.
