LONDON: An American diplomat accused of possessing child abuse images was secretly seized from his London home and flown out of Britain by US officials without British police being told, it has been claimed.
The former US serviceman, who was working at the American Embassy in Nine Elms, south London, was allegedly taken from his flat in Putney after a dawn raid on August 25.
Sources claim US officials discovered child abuse images at the property after they launched an investigation into the man’s brother, who is based in America and is accused of sending abusive material to the diplomat.
But British authorities were said to have been informed only after he had been flown out.
The claims have prompted furious questions over whether US officials bypassed British criminal justice procedures and have led to meetings involving senior Metropolitan Police figures and ministers.
A source told The Sun: ‘They should have told Scotland Yard when they carried out the raid, and certainly when they found material.
‘Instead we think they have taken him to a US airbase and flown him 4,000-plus miles to where his brother was being investigated. We think it was a dawn raid before they then took him to the base in a US military convoy.
‘The man may well face justice in the US but he should be before the courts here.’
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that American authorities made them aware of the investigation only on August 25 – the day of the alleged raid.
It said: ‘On August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children. We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.’
The operation is believed to have involved Marine Security Guards, who provide security at the US Embassy.
Flight records appear to show an unusual movement by a US-linked cargo aircraft around the time of the alleged extraction.
On August 24, a Kalitta Air Boeing 747-4R7F operating as flight K49709 travelled from Chicago to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where the US Air Force has a significant presence. The following day, the same aircraft left Fairford at 5.33pm as flight K4529 and arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 7.44pm local time after a journey of seven hours and 11 minutes.
It subsequently departed Dover at 11.22pm and flew to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, taking around one hour and 38 minutes.
The aircraft was listed as a cargo plane and, according to flight records, had not visited Fairford for at least two months before the August 25 journey.
It is understood that US authorities may have sought a court order in America before the raid, as the investigation centred on the diplomat’s brother.
The diplomatic row has reportedly reached the highest levels of Government, with meetings taking place involving Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and senior ministers including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The claims could prove embarrassing for the UK’s relationship with Washington and come at a particularly sensitive time for Anglo-American relations. —Courtesy Daily Mail
