Police Sgt charged over image

A DEVON and Cornwall Police sergeant has been charged with distributing an allegedly inappropriate image of George Floyd, who died at the hands of police in the US, sparking major Black Lives Matter protests around the world

Sergeant Geraint Jones, aged 47, is charged with sending the image on WhatsApp on May 30 last year.

The charge says he sent the image by means of a public electronic communications network, an offence contrary to S.127 of the Communications Act 2003.

It follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

In a statement the IOPC said: “An altered image of George Floyd’s arrest in Minneapolis was shared within a WhatsApp group that included a number of other police officers and staff. Our investigation began in June 2020 following a referral from the force. At its conclusion in October, we sent our investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service which has authorised the charge.

The officer will appear at Newton Abbot magistrates court on 28 January.