- A former Metropolitan police special constable received a twenty-four-year prison sentence for raping two victims.
- The defendant systematically groomed a young girl and a woman after initially meeting them both online.
- Known now as Gwyn Samuels, the perpetrator must serve an additional eight years on extended license.
A former Metropolitan police special constable has been ordered to serve 24 years in prison. This sentence follows convictions for the systematic grooming and rape of a girl and a woman. The court also imposed an 8-year extended license period. This brings the total sentence length to 32 years for the 28-year-old defendant.
The perpetrator was formerly known as James Bubb but now identifies as Gwyn Samuels. During the legal proceedings, Judge Jonathan Cooper noted that the defendant abused the most intimate trust of the victims. Samuels first targeted a 12-year-old girl on the chat website Omegle in 2018. They later met in person at a religious festival where Samuels served as a steward.
A second victim was targeted while Samuels posed as a teenage girl online. This woman was 18 years old when the interaction began. The defendant was found guilty of raping her during a periodic relationship that lasted five years. Prosecutors argued that Samuels deliberately sought community roles to gain access to vulnerable people and build unearned layers of trust.
The young victim reported being choked and punched during the assaults. She testified that the defendant frequently spoke about possessing special police powers to intimidate her. Despite the defendant’s transition, the judge clarified that the significant risk to women was based on criminal history. Samuels will remain incarcerated within the male prison estate for the duration of the term.
A lifelong sexual harm prevention order has been issued to protect the public. This legal measure strictly prohibits any contact with young women in the future. Investigators are currently maintaining an open mind regarding other potential crimes. Authorities have encouraged anyone with relevant information about the convicted former officer to contact the police regarding Operation Aspect.
