Merseyside police detective sacked for misconduct after paying boy, 17, for sex

A Merseyside police detective who paid a 17-year-old boy for sex has been sacked and told he acted in a way “that brings policing nationally into disrepute”.DC John Rigby has pleaded guilty to criminal charges and is on remand in prison awaiting sentence.He has been dismissed without notice from the force for gross misconduct after his case was referred to an accelerated misconduct hearing.The Merseyside police chief constable, Rob Carden, who chaired the misconduct panel, said: “To pay 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 said “the impact behaviour such as this can have on policing in the UK” could not be overestimated.Rigby pleaded guilty at Chester magistrates court in November to a charge that said he paid for sexual services of a male child aged 16 or 17. The charge said that Rigby from 13 February 2025 knew the male was 17 yet he continued to pay for sexual services.He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorised access to the force’s computer system. The charge said Rigby accessed the system three times in March and April for information on two males.“There was no policing purpose for these searches on force systems and therefore the use of the police computer system was unauthorised,” the report said.Rigby, 37, from St Helens, is due to be sentenced by a crown court judge on 16 January.Carden said children, particularly those who turned to sex work, were among “the most vulnerable in society”.He added: “The aggravating factor is that the officer’s actions were deliberate. It is inconceivable that a person who has been imprisoned for sexual offences can stil serve as a police officer.“No mitigation has been provided and the officer has not tendered his resignation. I find that the only appropriate outcome to impose there is that of dismissal without notice.”Rigby’s name has also been added to the College of Policing barred list prohibiting him from working again in a policing role.The report said that by paying for sex with a child “whom by definition is vulnerable, and being criminally convicted of that offence you have acted in a way that brings policing nationally into disrepute”.Det Ch Supt Sarbjit Kaur, the head of the force’s professional standards department, said Rigby’s salary was stopped as soon as he was remanded in custody in November, in line with police regulations.She said: “The overwhelming majority of people who work for Merseyside police join the force to support and help the public and they serve our communities with compassion and integrity on a daily basis.“We will not allow individuals to damage the good name built up by the vast majority of our officers who do an exemplary job and serve our communities with compassion, integrity and professionalism.”