Sex abuse officer found hanged

A former police officer from Norfolk committed suicide on the day he was to be charged with serious sexual offences.

Gareth Gricks, a 53-year-old grandfather, was arrested in May and dismissed from the police force in July.

The alleged offences involved young girls in Asia and a woman in this country.

Malcolm Robertson reports.

A former police officer from Norfolk was found dead on the day he was due to be charged with a series of serious sexual offences.

Norfolk Police said PC Gareth Gricks, 53, was found hanged at his home in Dunton, near Fakenham, on August 6.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) says Norfolk Police acted appropriately in its dealings with an officer suspected of committing a series of sex offences.

PC Gareth Gricks was found hanged at his home near Fakenham on the day he was due to be charged.

Asst Ch Con Nick Dean said the allegations were taken very seriously.

Norfolk Police today said they took "immediate action" against a police officer suspected of being involved in online child sex abuse.

PC Gareth Gricks was found dead at his home near Fakenham on August 6 - the day he was due to be charged with sex offences against young girls in South East Asia.

Norfolk's temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nick Dean said he had been arrested and suspended "at the earliest opportunity" and later dismissed.

While the officer's death had effectively ended the case, the force had decided to release details of the offences because of their serious nature.

“Both the criminal and sudden death investigations were referred voluntarily by Norfolk Constabulary to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which determined local management was appropriate in both instances.”

An inquest into the death of a police officer allegedly involved in a number of child sex offences heard he was found hanging from a beam in his garage by a family member.

PC Gareth Grick is understood to have told his family some details about the investigation a few days earlier.

The 53-year-old was due to be charged with a series of serious sexual offences involving victims from South East Asia on the day he was found dead.

The divorcee, who has adult children, was arrested at his home after returning from a holiday in Thailand in July.

He had since been dismissed from the force for gross misconduct.

The charges relate to multiple possible victims thought to be aged over 10 and under 16. Five offences of sexual assault against a woman were allegedly committed in the UK.

A former police officer from Norfolk was found dead on the day he was due to be charged with a series of serious sexual offences.

Norfolk Police said PC Gareth Gricks, 53, was found dead at his home in Dunton, near Fakenham, on August 6.

The force said that he was suspected of being involved in online child sex abuse involving victims from South East Asia, using online forums to make contact with young girls.

He was set to be charged with nine offences, including three counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, making indecent images of children and five offences of sexual assault against a woman.