A TOP police officer has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.
Inspector Ben Hodder, who has been suspended as the district police commander in Thurrock, pleaded guilty to one count of making photographs of a child.
Hodder, 34, of San Marcos Drive, Chafford Hundred, entered the guilty plea when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.
A further charge of accessing more serious images was dropped after the prosecution discovered the woman in the pictures were over the age of 18.
The five pornographic images of children were found on an Apple MacBook and an Apple iPhone.
Hodder, 34, of San Marcos Drive, Chafford Hundred, was convicted of making the indecent images of children between November and December 2013.
He was cleared of making indecent photographs of children in the most serious pornographic category A – as the images were found to be of over-18 year old women from overseas.
The child images are in category B and C – of a less serious pornographic nature.
Hodder, has now been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register until sentencing on April 17 2015 at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The disgraced police chief began his career policing the streets of Basildon and Grays before moving onto become district commander in Harlow in April 2010.
The chief inspector later moved to become divisional commander in Thurrock.
His case was transferred to Snaresbrook Crown Court from Basildon Magistrates Court due to his policing links to Essex county.
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