A DISGRACED Avon and Somerset detective has been banned from ever again serving as a police officer.

While off duty, former DC Scott Burton sent a number of sexual messages to a child, which included inappropriate and sexualised comments.

He was placed on a national barred list preventing him for working in policing or law enforcement following an accelerated misconduct hearing today (Monday, December 5).

The offences were disclosed to Avon and Somerset Police by a third party in June 2021 and an investigation immediately began.

In March 2022, Burton was charged with an offence of sexual communication with a child under the age of 16, and he appeared in court.

Following further direction from the Crown Prosecution Service, Burton received a police caution for the offence in September and is now required to be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for two years.

At today's hearing, Chief Constable Sarah Crew concluded Burton would have been dismissed if he hadn’t already resigned.

She said: “Any criminal offence is serious when the perpetrator is a police officer, however a sexual offence must be of the utmost gravity.

“Such offending involves a fundamental breach of the public’s trust in police officers, and it brings the profession of policing into disrepute, irrespective of whether it is perpetrated on duty or off duty.”

She said “psychological harm and emotional distress” had been caused to the victim and their family and a serving officer committing a sexual offence against a child would “undermine public confidence” in the police service.

Following the hearing, the force's head of professional standards, Supt Jane Wigmore, said: “During the court proceedings, this former officer admitted sending inappropriate and sexualised messages to a child.

"The contact with this child was not connected with his policing role.

“Abhorrent and abusive behaviour such as this is completely incompatible with a role in the police service.

“His actions have had a significant and lasting impact on the victim and their family, and we will ensure they have any support they may need.

“His actions have also impacted on his colleagues, who were unaware of his offending until an investigation began.

“Our work will continue to root out officers and staff who fail to comply with the high standards expected of them, and who through their attitudes, behaviours and actions, let down their colleagues and the public they took an oath to serve and protect.”