Police have come under fire after a pervert police officer who admitted a series of child-sex offences still remains employed on full pay.
Staffordshire Police suspended PC Lee Tatton after their crack Operation Safenet team arrested him on December 10.
The 54-year-old was later charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and four counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child. He pleaded guilty to the offences when his case was heard at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
Tatton, whose address was not disclosed during the hearing, has yet to be sentenced and remains suspended pending the outcome of an internal force hearing.
It has emerged that Tatton – who was nicknamed Tatts – was one of the stars of the Cops UK: Bodycam Squad fly-on-the-wall documentary which revealed what policing is really like on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent.
But StokeonTrentLive readers are stunned that Tatton was not immediately sacked as soon as he admitted the offences and that taxpayers are still paying his wages.
Keith Dixon asked: “Why is he suspended and not sacked?”
Janet Salt said: “Suspended with pay – sack him.”
Kerry Barlow said: “He needs locking up. Suspended with pay, that just makes it worse. Sack him and lock him up so he can get what he deserves. He’s supposed to keep people safe, what a joke.”
Sheila White said: “Suspended, he should be sacked!”
Staffordshire Police have defended their response. Regulations mean an officer cannot be dismissed until a misconduct hearing has been held.
A police spokesman said: “Misconduct meetings or hearings take place after any criminal proceedings due to a risk of prejudice.”
Tatton is due to be sentenced on November 2.
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