A US Embassy staffer in the UK accused of possessing child-abuse material was detained by American officials at his London residence and flown back to the US without first being questioned by British police.
According to a report by The Sun, the removal of the former serviceman, who was working at the US Embassy in south London, was done so without notifying UK authorities. The arrest followed a probe into his brother in the US, who was accused of sending abusive material to the diplomat.
US authorities obtained a court order in the US before searching the diplomat’s home on Aug. 25. Officials found child-abuse images at the property and took the man into custody, despite US personnel lacking legal powers to arrest him in the UK. The operation is believed to have been led by Marine security guards who patrol the embassy, and the UK was only notified after the extraction took place.
“They should have told Scotland Yard when they carried out the raid, and certainly when they found material,” a source told The Sun. “Instead we think they have taken him to a US airbase and flown him 4,000-plus miles to where his brother was being investigated. We think it was a dawn raid before they then took him to the base in a US military convoy.”
“The man may well face justice in the US but he should be before the courts here,” the source said.
The source also claimed that the operation had caused “ripples” throughout th UK government.
“The Americans’ actions have been outrageous and left people utterly furious,” they said. “At first, when they told Scotland Yard, they wouldn’t even give the address. It’s astonishing as this man was living in a private address and potentially committing crimes here yet we weren’t told in time.”
The US Embassy confirmed that allegations were made against an individual working at the embassy but did not provide additional details.
“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,” an embassy spokesperson said.
