PSNI officer to stand trial on charge of child prostitution

A police officer is to stand trial on multiple charges relating to inciting child prostitution, possessing indecent child images and attempted child sexual communication.

Appearing for a committal hearing was Christopher Little (39) whose address was given as PSNI Headquarters, Knock faces a total of 11 charges which are alleged to have occurred on various dates between 2020 and 2021. In order of alleged occurrence, Little is accused of making and possessing an indecent image of a child on 6 May 2020, the title of which is too graphic to publish. He is also charged with four counts of attempting to communicate sexually with what it is alleged Little believed were female children, but were police decoys with cypher identities. These offences relate to dates between 28 June and 31 August 2021. Little is further accused of two counts of attempting to arrange or facilitate sexual activity with a child on 12 July and 21 August 2021. There are also single counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting incite child prostitution, and intentionally encouraging the commission of an offence, namely sending indecent images of a child. These matters allegedly occurred 12 and 13 July 2021. A prosecuting lawyer told Laganside Magistrates' Court there is a case to answer which was agreed by District Judge Alan White. Little did not object to the proceedings and declined to call witnesses or give evidence on his own behalf at this stage. Judge White remanded him on £500 bail to appear for arraignment at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed. Little was ordered to have no unsupervised access to any child under the age of 18 without permission of Social Services.

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