A former police inspector with a "long and impressive" career has narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence after being caught with hundreds of indecent images of children on his mobile phones.
The Discovery and Arrest
Ian Walpole, 43, from Roxby in North Lincolnshire, was arrested in July 2024. His crimes came to light during a separate police investigation into another man, who had sent videos of himself abusing a child to a contact saved as 'Ian'. Officers subsequently examined Walpole's devices, uncovering a total of 246 illegal photos and videos.
Prosecutor Michael Masson detailed the findings at Lincoln Crown Court. On an iPhone 11, there were 89 illegal files, including 26 Category A images – the most severe category – and nine Category A videos. A second device, an iPhone SE, contained 157 illegal files. Among these were 123 pictures and 34 videos, with one video lasting over 16 minutes showing the abuse of a 12-year-old boy.
Sentencing and Mitigation
Walpole, who had already pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children at Lincoln Magistrates' Court, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 21 months. Recorder Luke Blackburn stated the former officer had thrown away his 21-year career through his own actions.
He noted that few would understand the "profound" impact of such material better than a police officer, emphasising that it represents "real-world harm done to real victims". The Recorder said he was "only just" persuaded to suspend the custodial term, citing Walpole's steps towards rehabilitation.
In defence, Andrea Parnham said Walpole displayed remorse, had undertaken self-funded courses to address his behaviour, and had suffered work-related stress. She revealed he had lost his career, income, and friends, and had experienced suicidal thoughts. Walpole has since retrained as an HGV driver.
Consequences and Official Response
In addition to the suspended sentence, Walpole was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, must complete 50 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Following the hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Baker of Humberside Police issued a strong statement. She described the crimes as "sickening and inexcusable" and acknowledged they "deeply undermine" core policing responsibilities. The force confirmed a separate misconduct investigation concluded Walpole would have been dismissed for gross misconduct, had he not resigned in January 2025. The misconduct included sharing confidential information from police systems.
Recorder Blackburn concluded that while Walpole's actions were "revolting", they were not so serious as to demand immediate custody, perceiving a "strong prospect of rehabilitation".
