Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq has tendered his resignation from the States.
He is understood to have written to the Bailiff last Thursday – the same day he pleaded guilty to numerous criminal offences including making and distributing indecent images of children.
The Bailiff’s Chambers has only confirmed his intention to resign today, saying that the official process means the States will be asked to “accept the resignation of Deputy Jonathan Paul Le Tocq” when they meet next week.
Le Tocq effectively remains a Deputy until then, despite being remanded at Les Nicolles Prison since August.
He was first arrested in July – on telecommunications offences – before being charged the following month once Guernsey Police had found evidence of doctored indecent images on his phone, among other things.
The politician and pastor pleaded guilty to the following:
Seven counts of sending by means of telecoms network an indecent message
Making a pseudo-indecent image of a child – Minimum of 230 images, Category A
Making an indecent image of a child – Minimum of 13 images, Category A
Making a pseudo-indecent image of a child – Minimum of 486 images, Category B
Making an indecent image of a child – Minimum of 10 images, Category B
Making a pseudo-indecent image of a child – Minimum of 1731 images, Category C
Making an indecent image of a child – Minimum of 10 images, Category C
Distributing a pseudo-indecent image of a child – One image, Category C
Possession of extreme pornographic images – 218 images
Despite having done no political work since he was arrested in August, and limited work after his arrest in July – which was followed by a month on bail spent at his second home in France – Le Tocq had continued to accept his States pay.
As he was a member of Policy and Resources until the end of September, he would have been paid around £15,500 between July and September.
As he then resigned from P&R, he would have been paid around £10,000 since then as a ‘backbencher’.
Once his former colleagues vote to accept his resignation next week, Le Tocq’s political career will be confined to the dustbin as a result of his own criminal actions.
His work as a religious leader with the Church on the Rock and New Ground Churches has also ended. Both said he stood down from his roles with them when he was arrested.
The disgraced politician and pastor will be sentenced on 26 January.
Judge Catherine Fooks remanded him back into custody until then after he pleaded guilty last week. She told him he is immediately subject to notification requirements – meaning his movements will be limited once he is eventually released from prison.