A former police officer from Ealing has been given a suspended prison sentence after attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child over Snapchat, following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).
Barry Geering, 44, who served as a police constable with Wiltshire Police at the time of his arrest in April 2024, admitted last month (May 2025) to attempting sexual communication with a child under 16.
He appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court yesterday (23 June 2025), where he was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. In addition, he must complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work.
Geering will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and is subject to a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
He was arrested on 30 April 2024 as part of a proactive operation led by the SWROCU’s Online Investigations Team, a unit that works within a national network targeting online child sexual abuse and exploitation. At the time of his arrest, Geering was suspended from his role in Wiltshire Police. He resigned two months later.
A separate internal investigation by Wiltshire Police’s Professional Standards Department into potential misconduct has concluded, with its findings to inform an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing scheduled for next month (July 2025).
Temporary Detective Inspector Alex Spargo, from the online investigations team at SWROCU said: “Barry Geering thought he was communicating with a child when he used Snapchat to engage in sexual communications. The work of our team means he was promptly identified and arrested – and, critically, he no longer works as a police officer.”
Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper added: “I, like my colleagues, am appalled by the actions of this former officer. I also recognise that this may impact upon trust and confidence our communities have in Wiltshire Police.
“The abhorrent crime, for which he has been sentenced, is against everything that we in policing represent. Our core priority is to protect the most vulnerable in society, and to keep everyone safe. This is the priority of Wiltshire Police.”
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