A former volunteer police officer has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after being convicted of a series of sexual offences, including the rape and assault of a child.
Gwyn Samuels, who previously served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police under the name James Bubb, was found guilty of five offences following a trial at Amersham Law Courts. Sentencing took place on Friday 20 March. Upon release, Samuels will serve a further eight years on licence and has been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
The offences took place between January 2018 and April 2024 across London and Buckinghamshire. Samuels was convicted of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, rape of a child under 13, sexual activity with a child, and assault by penetration against one victim, as well as the rape of a second victim.
The case was led by Thames Valley Police. Samuels had been volunteering with officers in the Metropolitan Police’s Central West Command Unit since September 2020 and was off-duty at the time of all the incidents.
Following an arrest in April 2024, Samuels was immediately suspended from volunteer duties. Dismissal without notice followed in September 2024, after which Samuels was placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing any future role in policing.
Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Stancombe of the Met’s Professional Standards department said the behaviour was utterly despicable and praised those who came forward, stating their courage had directly led to the lengthy custodial sentence. He added that no complaints had previously been raised about Samuels’ conduct during the period of volunteering with the force.
Samuels has since changed name from James Bubb and now self-identifies as a transgender woman.
The Met said it remained committed to ensuring individuals who displayed such behaviour had no place within the organisation.
