A former Guernsey Chief Minister has admitted multiple offences involving indecent images of children and extreme pornography – on the same day another former postholder was arrested over allegations of harassment in a separate case.
Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq pleaded guilty in the island’s Royal Court yesterday afternoon to 15 charges – including making and distributing indecent and pseudo-indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, and telecoms offences involving the use of social media accounts in other people’s names.
The public gallery was almost full for the hearing, with members of his family, media and other attendees present. Le Tocq appeared in person and spoke only to confirm his pleas.
The charges include:
- seven counts of sending an indecent message via a telecoms network
- making at least 230 Category A pseudo-indecent images of children and 13 Category A indecent images
- making 486 Category B pseudo-indecent images and ten Category B indecent images
- making 1,731 Category C pseudo-indecent images and ten Category C indecent images
- distributing one Category C pseudo-indecent image
- possessing 218 extreme pornographic images.
He was remanded in custody by Judge Catherine Fooks until sentencing on 26 January.
By that date, he will have spent 189 days in custody, following his arrest in July and charges being laid in August.
Le Tocq was re-elected to the States of Guernsey in June and has been serving as External Relations Minister.
It also emerged yesterday afternoon in a separate case that another former Guernsey Chief Minister, Deputy Gavin St Pier, had been arrested alongside his wife Jane over allegations of harassment.
After being released without charge following their arrest on 3 December, the pair said in a statement that the allegations made against them were “shocking” and that they “completely refute” them.
The arrest occurred just six days after Deputy St Pier escaped a 25-day suspension from Guernsey’s States after the majority of his political colleagues voted overwhelmingly to reject the proposed sanction from the independent Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards, Dr Melissa McCullough.
She said he had breached the Code of Conduct, but Deputy St Pier told the States that he would not stop trying to help families who have contacted him asking for support in their own situations concerning the medical care of their children and safeguarding concerns.
The commissioner, who also oversees conduct complaints about Jersey politicians, subsequently resigned from the Guernsey element of her role, saying that the failure to suspend Deputy St Pier undermined the standards system and signalled an unwillingness to enforce consequences and to ensure accountability.