A former Bedfordshire police officer has been jailed for sexually exploiting two vulnerable teenage girls.

Elliot Wright was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court today (October 16), after pleading guilty to inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, arranging the sexual exploitation of a child, and doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.

The 29-year-old also pleaded guilty to three counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child and paying for sexual services of a child in relation to the teenager he engaged with in 2023.

Wright was arrested in March 2024, when a vulnerable 17-year-old girl was reported missing after getting into a car with him.

He had been in contact with her for a number of weeks through social media, exchanging hundreds of messages, and visiting the road where she lived four times before they met.

He had asked for indecent pictures of her and had offered to buy her gifts including alcohol, cigarettes and clothes if she came to his house.

During an investigation, police discovered that Wright, who was a serving officer with Bedfordshire Police at the time, had been having online conversations with a 16-year-old girl the year before.

Wright solicited indecent images from the girl in return for money, and he offered to pay her if she agreed to work on the online platform, OnlyFans.

A search of his address uncovered a significant number of sexual images of girls who appeared to be under 18, while his internet search history showed several searches relating to sexual offending against children by police officers and disciplinary proceedings and potential defences to indecent image offences.

Bedfordshire Police chief constable Dan Vajzovic said: "Wright is undoubtedly a deviant sexual predator who targeted and groomed young girls for his own sexual gratification.

"Police officers are trained to identify vulnerability so they can protect people from harm. Wright used that training, and his position as a police officer, to abuse some of the most vulnerable young girls for his own means.

"The district judge who remanded him on his first appearance after his arrest described his actions as ‘reprehensible’ which is absolutely fitting. There is no excuse for how he acted, and he has let down his colleagues and further harmed trust and confidence in policing. There is categorically no place in this, or any police force, for anyone who behaves in this way, and I welcome his custodial sentence."

Paul Robson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, continued: "Elliot Wright knew these two teenage girls were vulnerable and he took advantage of that; grooming them online and exploiting them for his own sexual gratification.

"Based on evidence from Wright’s phone and electronic devices, we authorised several child sexual offence charges against him. Having initially denied the charges, he eventually entered guilty pleas, meaning his young victims were at least spared from the ordeal of a trial.

"Today he has been jailed for his actions and we hope his sentence sends a clear message that we won’t hesitate to bring charges against those who prey on young people for their own twisted ends."

An NSPCC spokesperson added: "Wright was trained to spot and assist the most vulnerable people in his community. Instead he abused his position of trust as a police officer to target online, groom and sexually abuse teenage girls.

"It is vital that the victims in this case are getting all the help they need to move forwards with their lives. We would also encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, no matter when it happened or who the perpetrator was, to speak out and seek any support they might need.

"If you’re concerned about the welfare of a child or young person, please call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 for help and advice or email help@nspcc.org.uk."