A London police officer admitted Monday to raping and sexually assaulting a dozen women over a 17-year period, and using his position to coerce and control his victims, authorities said.
David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 counts, including 24 counts of rape and charges including assault, attempted rape and false imprisonment.
Police said Carrick met some of the women through online dating sites or at social events, using his position as a police officer to gain their trust.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Barbara Gray said the dozen victims felt unable to come forward sooner because Carrick convinced them they would not be believed.
ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST MAFIA BOSS AFTER 30 YEARS ON THE RUN
David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 counts, including some 20 counts of rape, assault, attempted rape and false imprisonment.
(Hertfordshire Police via AP)
“He used the fact that he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims,” Gray said. “We should have caught the pattern of abusive behavior from him, and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organization.”
The police department apologized to the victims after it emerged that nine allegations of rape and other crimes were made against Carrick between 2000 and 2021. He was suspended from the force after his arrest on a rape allegation in October 2021.
London’s Metropolitan Police have apologized to the victims for failing to detect Carrick’s pattern of abusive behavior sooner.
(iStock)
Gray apologized again Monday for not removing Carrick from the force sooner, saying his “horrific and degrading crimes” were “devastating.”
“He has devastated women’s lives,” she said. “He has had a devastating impact on the confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. He has devastated his colleagues.”
UK POLICE ARREST MAN ON TERRORISM CHARGES AFTER FINDING URANIUM IN PACKAGE AT LONDON AIRPORT
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “absolutely disgusted and shocked” by the revelations.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the long time it took to acknowledge the crimes raises serious questions about how Carrick could have abused his position as a police officer for so long.
(Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Pride In London, File)
“Londoners will rightly be surprised that this man has been able to work for the Met for so long, and serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous way,” Khan said.
Carrick joined the London Metropolitan Police force in 2001, serving in parliamentary and diplomatic protection command.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on February 6.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
