Police officer who recorded himself sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl using her mobile phone while off duty has been jailed for more than six years

A police officer who recorded himself having sex with a teenage girl on her mobile phone after grooming her online has been jailed for more than six years.

PC Luke Horner, 24, who is also a former soldier, traveled over an hour from his home in Rushden, Northamptonshire, to attack the 13-year-old girl he had met on social media.

He continued to sexually assault the victim while off duty engaging in penetrative sexual activity, which he videotaped on her cellphone on June 11.

The girl’s horrified mother later found the footage on her daughter’s phone and called the police who arrested the Thames Valley Police officer.

Horner, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was immediately suspended by TVP and later resigned in July.

He went on to plead guilty to one count of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13-15 at Northampton Crown Court in August.

Today he was sentenced to six years and four months in prison at the same court and looked close to tears as he was sentenced.

Sentencing, His Honor Judge David Herbert KC told Horner that he had undermined public confidence in the police.

He said: “This is an utterly shameful day for you.

“You are convicted of sexual activity with a 13-year-old child that involved full intercourse.

“This offense is disgraceful to anyone, but more than that you were a serving police officer.

“When you became a police officer, you would have taken an oath to act with integrity and protect the public.

“You have failed and damaged the public’s trust in the police.”

Horner was told that, had his victim been 12 years old, the charges would have been more serious.

The law dictates that the perpetrators of this type of criminal offense, when the child has reached the age of 13, are accused of sexual activity with children and not of rape.

During the sentencing, the court heard from a relative of the young girl, who said in the victim’s personal statement: ‘How can I sleep at night knowing what he has done?

‘How can he? How did he go to work, put on his uniform and face his co-workers knowing that he had broken the law?

“I feel sick to my stomach every time I think about it.”

In mitigation, the court heard Horner had pleaded guilty on the first occasion, had shown remorse for his crime and had no previous convictions.

Detective Constable Sarah Osborne from Northamptonshire Police said after the case: “No sentence can make up for what Luke Horner has done, but I hope that the conclusion of this case and the fact that he will now spend time in prison provides some small comfort to this young girl’s family.

“I want to commend them for the confidence they put in us to investigate this crime and their support throughout – none of which we have ever taken for granted.

“As this young girl’s relative said in her victim impact statement – how could Luke Horner come into work and put that uniform on, knowing what he had done?

Overview of Northampton Crown and District Court

“His behavior and actions go against everything we stand for within the police force and it is people like him that we continue to work tirelessly to expose and remove for good.

“I hope this case shows how seriously we take child protection in this county and that it doesn’t matter who you are if you commit an offense we will do everything we can to put you where you belong – behind bars .’

Head of Child Protection for Northamptonshire Police – Detective Chief Inspector Jen Castle said: “We are very pleased to have secured justice for the child in this case.

Horner’s conviction and sentence also demonstrates a positive outcome for the police.

“Policemen and staff who think they can break the law have no place in our profession.

“Enforcing the law and maintaining professionalism are our top priorities.”

Thames Valley Police made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which decided the matter should be subject to a local investigation by the force.

An expedited misconduct hearing took place on September 4, 2023, where Horner’s conduct was found to be gross misconduct.

He would have been fired if he was still serving and placed on the Barred List, meaning he could not re-enter police service.

Thames Valley Police Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs said: “We are all appalled by Horner’s behavior and our thoughts are with the young girl and her family who have been affected.

In parallel with the criminal investigation, and once Horner’s offending came to light, Thames Valley Police took decisive action to suspend him, refer the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and instigate conduct proceedings bad.

“No member of our workforce is above the law and I hope the swift action taken by our force and the courts will help restore public confidence and trust in the police.”

After the sentencing, an NSPCC spokesman said: “As a police officer, it was Horner’s duty to protect young people and he would have been aware of the devastating impact that child sexual abuse can have on its victims.

“Despite this, he raped a 13-year-old girl while filming her.