Ex-Met Cops Jack Addis and Jeremy Laxton Face Child Image Charges
On February 9, two retired Metropolitan Police officers will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court over shocking child abuse allegations.
Former Officers Accused Over Indecent Images
Jack Addis, 63, currently of no fixed address, stands accused of conspiring to distribute or display indecent images of children.
Jeremy Laxton, 62, from Lincolnshire, faces a slew of charges: three counts of conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, possession of prohibited images, possession of extreme pornographic images, and misconduct in public office for encouraging or assisting offenders.
Timeline and Arrests
- The alleged offences took place between January 2018 and September 2021.
- Laxton was arrested in September 2021.
- Addis was arrested two months later, in November 2021.
Investigation Linked to Serving Met Chief Inspector’s Untimely Death
The charges emerged from a “lengthy and complex” probe into Richard Watkinson, 49, a serving Met Chief Inspector in neighbourhood policing at the West Area Command.
Watkinson was found dead in Buckinghamshire on the day he was due in court facing similar charges — including conspiracy to distribute indecent images, voyeurism, and misconduct in public office.
His death is being treated as mysterious but not suspicious. An inquest has opened but been adjourned.
