A Metropolitan Police officer has pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children. 

PC Darren Hourigan was serving in the South Area Command Unit, which covers Bromley, Croydon and Sutton, when he was caught with the images. 

The 51-year-old appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday (April 26) where he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent images of children. 

PC Hourigan was arrested in March 2020 following an investigation by the Met’s Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse team. 

He was suspended from duties before he was charged on September 21 last year. 

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, in charge of policing in South Area, said: “We have made it clear that the Met will take action against any of its staff who are not fit to remain within the organisation, and we will now prepare for a misconduct hearing. 

“We are committed to providing Londoners with a Met that they deserve; one that upholds the law on the streets of the capital and amongst its own ranks. 

“The vast majority of the thousands of police officers and staff are striving to take this forward – those who won’t are not worthy to remain.” 

This comes the month after another officer in the same command unit was jailed over extreme porn images.

Former PC Liam Boshein was sentenced to 42 weeks in prison after his his phone was downloaded and an extreme pornographic image was found.