US officials ‘secretly flew diplomat out of UK’ amid indecent image claims
Officials secretly flew an American diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children out of the UK
A US official accused of possessing indecent images of children was secretly flown out of the UK after allegations involving an indecent image. The recent move has raised questions about the situation regarding the diplomat’s departure and the allegations.
According to The Sun, US personnel retain no powers of arrest in the UK and there was no formal request to surrender the man. Given the situation, UK ministers are reported to be in touch with the US embassy over the incident. The man’s arrest is reported to be linked to an investigation into another person in the US.
In this connection, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “On Tuesday August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children.”
“We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.”
A statement from the US embassy spokesperson reads: “We are aware of allegations concerning an individual assigned to the Embassy. The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously.”
US official Anne Sacoolas left the UK following a car crash in Northamptonshire, 2019 which killed 19 year old Harry Dunn. A victim’s advocate asserted that if offenses occurred on UK soil, they must be investigated domestically; moreover he said it is not a “get out of jail free card" and diplomats should be subject to local investigative processes.
