4 months ago
28
Thames Valley Police
James Bubb first met one of his victims at a Christian festival
A former Metropolitan Police special constable who raped and sexually assaulted a child has been jailed for 24 years.
The 28-year-old, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was also found guilty of raping a young woman he met online while posing as a 16-year-old girl.
The former special constable was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday to a total of 32 years, made up of 24 years' imprisonment and a further eight years on extended licence.
The 28-year-old identified as male at the time of the offences, and was referred to by their biological sex throughout the trial at Amersham Law Courts.
Later at the first sentencing hearing, Judge Jonathan Cooper said that since they have transitioned, they should be known by their new identity of Gwyn Samuels.
PA Media/Elizabeth Cook
James Bubb, who now identifies as Gwyn Samuels, sexually assaulted the girl in public shortly before her 13th birthday
In relation to the first victim, Samuels was found guilty of one count of raping a child under 13, one count of sexual activity with a child, one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, and one count of assault by penetration.
The defendant was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child in relation to that complainant, and found guilty of one count of rape against the second victim.
All charges took place between 1 January 2018 and 2 April 2024.
Sentencing the defendant, Judge Cooper said Samuels "abused the most intimate trust of your victims" in "a campaign of abuse against each that was intended to break their will entirely".
Samuels began to volunteer with the Met Police Central West team as a special constable in September 2020.
The force said Samuels was suspended immediately after being arrested by Thames Valley Police on 30 April 2024.
Samuels met their first victim on chat site Omegle in 2018 before meeting in person for the first time at a Christian festival a few months later, the court heard.
Jurors heard the officer sexually assaulted the girl in public shortly before her 13th birthday.
The trial was told Samuels was violent towards her and raped and sexually abused her when she was in her early teens - with the victim telling police the 28-year-old choked and punched her.
The girl said Samuels looked "paranoid" when they were in public together and she felt like she was being "hidden".
When at the Christian festival her colour-coded child wristband was clearly on show, she told police.
Samuels' first victim also said the defendant spoke "a lot about the powers he had" in their role with the Met as a special constable.
The court heard the officer raped their second victim, a woman who had just turned 18 when she met the defendant, while they were in an on-off relationship between January 2018 and February 2023.
