US diplomat accused of possessing child abuse images was secretly flown out of Britain after a US raid at his home.
According to a report by The Telegraph, a US diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children was secretly flown out of Britain after American authorities allegedly raided his home and removed him from the country without informing British police beforehand.
The diplomat, who was working at the US embassy in London, was reportedly taken to an RAF base used by American forces and flown to the United States after child abuse images were allegedly found on his phone. British authorities were apparently informed only after his removal.
According to the report, American authorities are said to have obtained a court order in the US before raiding the diplomat’s home in Putney on August 25. He was then reportedly taken to an RAF base in a US military convoy before being flown out of Britain. US officials do not have powers of arrest in the UK, and there was reportedly no formal request for the diplomat’s extradition. The incident has prompted concerns among British officials and could further strain relations between London and Washington.
A source told The Sun that British police should have been informed when the raid took place and when the alleged material was discovered.
“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.”
In a letter to Justice Secretary Alex Norris, Conservative MP Nick Timothy said he was concerned that the incident could represent “a cover-up” and that the diplomat may have committed offences in the UK.
“If this is the case, the diplomat should face trial in an English court.”
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty described the alleged US actions as “absolutely grotesque” and said:
“The US government is now protecting alleged paedophiles.”
He told The Sun:
“US marines conducting a raid on British soil, on which they have no jurisdiction, to seize one of their own diplomats and use US military resources to ferry the suspect out of the country is completely unacceptable.”
Legal Experts Question US Actions
Mark Stephens, an international litigation expert who has represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, criticized the US authorities’ handling of the case.
“The Americans have shown a heavy-handed disregard for our law and effectively extraordinarily rendered one of their own citizens.”
Stephens said it was “embarrassing” and “astonishing” that the Metropolitan Police had not been alerted, arguing that any crime committed in Britain should be tried there.
Rebecca Niblock, a specialist extradition lawyer at Kingsley Napley, said one country generally cannot exercise law enforcement powers in another without its consent, warning that doing so could raise legal and diplomatic issues.
Flight Data Shows US Aircraft Travelled From Fairford
Flight data showed Kalitta Air flight K49709 travelled from Chicago to RAF Fairford on August 24, one day before the reported raid. The Boeing 747 then left Fairford at 5.33pm on August 25 and arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 7.44pm local time before flying to Chicago.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said US authorities informed them on August 25 about an investigation into suspected offences involving indecent images of children and that officers continued to liaise with them.
The UK Government said foreign diplomats must abide by British law, while the US embassy said it had “quickly informed UK law enforcement” and that the diplomat had been reassigned to the United States as part of an ongoing investigation.
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