Former PC jailed after sharing child abuse images

A former police constable has been jailed for 13 months after admitting making and distributing indecent images of children, including some in the most serious category.

Michael Elmer, who worked for Avon and Somerset Police in Bristol, pleaded guilty in February to three counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of distributing such images.

The 36-year-old, of Swineford in South Gloucestershire, also admitted a charge of sharing a photo of a person in an intimate state for the purposes of sexual gratification.

Elmer, whose crimes were committed while he was a serving police officer, was jailed at Exeter Crown Court, and also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Elmer was arrested in May 2025 after a tip-off suggesting he had been engaging in inappropriate activity online.

A search of his phones found he had downloaded 96 Category A child abuse images - the most serious - including images depicting children being raped.

The phones also contained 60 Category B and 281 Category C images.

He had also downloaded apps to allow him to access the dark web and chat with other individuals with a sexual interest in children.

The court heard on one occasion in April 2025, Elmer doctored an image of underage teenage girls in school uniform to make them appear naked and then shared the picture with others.

On another occasion, Elmer found a photo of a woman he knew and again edited the image so she appeared unclothed, before sending it to his chat group.

Elmer initially denied any offences in police interviews but pleaded guilty in court.

His lawyer explained his mental health had declined during his time in the police force after working on some traumatic cases, as well as experiencing sudden family bereavements, and that he had failed to reach out for help.

The judge said he took into account Elmer's history of mental health problems, including a diagnosis of PTSD, but said that did not fully explain his offending.

"None of this is accidental," he said. "This is sustained offending."

The judge said Elmer had built up a good reputation in his career and had no previous convictions.

"I have no doubt that you are genuinely remorseful and deeply ashamed [of your offending]," he said.

But he said Elmer had "entirely ruined the reputation" he had gained, adding that his offences were too serious for a suspended sentence.

The former PC was barred from policing on 7 April after a misconduct hearing found he had committed gross misconduct - he had already resigned.

Deputy Chief Constable Jon Reilly called Elmer's offences "appalling", saying: "Officers have a clear duty to protect members of the public, especially the most vulnerable, so to engage in this abhorrent criminality is extremely serious and he'll now have to face the consequences of his actions."

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