A trans-identifying former UK Metropolitan police officer was sentenced on Friday to 24 years in prison for sex crimes against children. Gwyn Samuels, 28, born as James Bubb, targeted his rape victims online and abused his power as a law enforcement officer to keep them silent. He was convicted last year following a 12-day jury trial at the Aylesbury Crown Court.
His Honour Judge Jonathan Cooper detailed Samuels' abuses during sentencing, telling the Court that he "terrorized" and "groomed" his victims. Cooper also ordered Samuels to serve eight years on license following his prison release and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for life, Thames Valley Police reported.
The defendant was found guilty on August 28, 2025, of rape of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, sexual activity with a child, assault by penetration, and rape. The crimes were committed in London and Buckinghamshire over the course of several years, and there were two victims, ages 12 and 18.
The offenses were committed when the defendant identified as James Bubb. He changed his name to Gwyn Samuels and began identifying as a transgender "woman" during the investigation, according to Thames Valley Police, the agency in charge of the probe.
The defendant used the social media app Kik and website Omegle to meet the two victims online. He has been terminated from the Metropolitan police force.
The first victim was 12 years old when the rape and abuse started. Speaking before the judge, the victim said of the defendant in an emotional impact statement: "You tried to convince me that I could not speak up because your job was to keep the public safe, you had solidified that by threatening to make yourself unsafe and end your own life if I dared to speak up about your abhorrent behavior."
"You have tried to claw your way into my psyche, attempting to convince me that I am both too much and not enough," the victim continued. "You told me that I would never find somebody who loved me, made me feel repeatedly like I was a burden. But James, it's so clear to me and the world now, that these were merely projections...You took my silence for weakness. You took my love and kindness for defeat. But James, you could not defeat me, what you have done has only made me stronger in the long run."
The second victim, aged 18 at the time, was raped by the defendant periodically between 2018 and 2023. The victim told the judge that Samuels took advantage of his police training, describing him as a "monster." "If I was upset and wanted to leave, it was arm bent and held behind my back, holding me in place to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. It was pressure points being issued to elicit pain to make sure I wouldn't struggle. It was like a game to him," the victim said.
"I became a shell of myself, only going out to see him, and often arguing with my parents that I had gotten home too late or later than I had said, because he wouldn't let me leave. It felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel," the victim continued. "I will never get back the time he took from me, but I might one day be able to live instead of survive. That is all I hope for now. To one day reach a point of living again."
Thames Valley Police Detective Sergeant Kristy Pendle has urged anyone with information about Samuels to contact 101 and refer to Operation Aspect.
His Honour Judge Jonathan Cooper detailed Samuels' abuses during sentencing, telling the Court that he "terrorized" and "groomed" his victims. Cooper also ordered Samuels to serve eight years on license following his prison release and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for life, Thames Valley Police reported.
The defendant was found guilty on August 28, 2025, of rape of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, sexual activity with a child, assault by penetration, and rape. The crimes were committed in London and Buckinghamshire over the course of several years, and there were two victims, ages 12 and 18.
The offenses were committed when the defendant identified as James Bubb. He changed his name to Gwyn Samuels and began identifying as a transgender "woman" during the investigation, according to Thames Valley Police, the agency in charge of the probe.
The defendant used the social media app Kik and website Omegle to meet the two victims online. He has been terminated from the Metropolitan police force.
The first victim was 12 years old when the rape and abuse started. Speaking before the judge, the victim said of the defendant in an emotional impact statement: "You tried to convince me that I could not speak up because your job was to keep the public safe, you had solidified that by threatening to make yourself unsafe and end your own life if I dared to speak up about your abhorrent behavior."
"You have tried to claw your way into my psyche, attempting to convince me that I am both too much and not enough," the victim continued. "You told me that I would never find somebody who loved me, made me feel repeatedly like I was a burden. But James, it's so clear to me and the world now, that these were merely projections...You took my silence for weakness. You took my love and kindness for defeat. But James, you could not defeat me, what you have done has only made me stronger in the long run."
The second victim, aged 18 at the time, was raped by the defendant periodically between 2018 and 2023. The victim told the judge that Samuels took advantage of his police training, describing him as a "monster." "If I was upset and wanted to leave, it was arm bent and held behind my back, holding me in place to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. It was pressure points being issued to elicit pain to make sure I wouldn't struggle. It was like a game to him," the victim said.
"I became a shell of myself, only going out to see him, and often arguing with my parents that I had gotten home too late or later than I had said, because he wouldn't let me leave. It felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel," the victim continued. "I will never get back the time he took from me, but I might one day be able to live instead of survive. That is all I hope for now. To one day reach a point of living again."
Thames Valley Police Detective Sergeant Kristy Pendle has urged anyone with information about Samuels to contact 101 and refer to Operation Aspect.
