Peter Philip Whitehouse began downloading the pictures and films – some of children younger than ten – when he was a serving officer and continued after he retired and worked for an Island charity that aims to steer children away from crime.
The 57-year-old later told police that ‘no vetting system in the world’ would have been able to uncover his ‘dark side’ and added that there was a ‘buzz’ to doing something that was illegal.
There is no suggestion that Whitehouse, who worked for the charity Prison! Me! No Way!!!, abused any of the children he came into contact with, the Royal Court heard yesterday.
Wearing a grey suit and tie, Whitehouse, who pleaded guilty to seven counts of making indecent images of children, gave no reaction as he was jailed and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a minimum of five years yesterday.
Outlining the case for the Crown, Solicitor General Mark Temple said that over a decade, Whitehouse stored 1,557 illegal images on 12 different devices.
He added that 570 of the films and pictures downloaded were ranked as category four and 30 at category five – the highest level of the scale used by officers to categorise indecent images.
Some of the images involved bestiality.
Whitehouse, a former community police officer, who retired from the police in 2009, was arrested at Jersey Airport after getting off a flight from London Gatwick in April this year.
Advocate Temple said that throughout the investigation Whitehouse was ‘frank and honest’ with officers and provided passwords to devices.
In police interviews Whitehouse said that he was ‘deeply embarrassed and ashamed’ by his crimes and apologised to his family, the police, Prison! Me! No Way!!! as well as the schools that he had worked with.
During one interview, Whitehouse read out a statement, which said: ‘No vetting system in the world would have been able to identify my dark side.
‘Throughout all the time I worked in the Island’s many schools and youth projects, I was totally professional in thought and in deed at all times.
‘No child was ever at risk in any way whatsoever.’
He also told officers that he could not explain why he downloaded the images and that despite trying to stop it became a ‘compulsive cycle’.
There was no evidence that Whitehouse, who used file erasing software to try to conceal his crimes, had shared the images with anyone else.
Advocate Julian Gollop, defending, said his client was remorseful, of previous good character and had served the Island community for 35 years.
The advocate added: ‘He started viewing adult pornography on a regular basis and he came across these images.
‘Curiosity and temptation resulted in him overcoming his common sense and moral compass to view this illegal material.
‘He did not find it an easy hurdle to get over.’
The Bailiff, William Bailhache, said that the offence was serious as it involved child victims.
He added: ‘A serious aggravating feature is that you were a serving police officer and worked for Prison! Me! No Way!!! because your conduct brings shame both on the police force and on that charity.’
Jurats Paul Nicolle and Sally Sparrow were sitting.
