An American diplomat suspected of possessing child sexual abuse images was allegedly removed from his London home in a covert US operation and flown out of the UK without British police being notified.
The former US serviceman, who was employed at the American Embassy in Nine Elms, south London, was reportedly taken from his Putney flat during an early-morning raid on August 25.
Sources allege that US officials found child abuse material at the address before taking the diplomat out of Britain and transferring him to the United States.
The reported operation is said to have followed an inquiry involving the man’s US-based brother, who is accused of sending the abusive images to the embassy worker.
British authorities were allegedly alerted only after the American national had already left the country.
The allegations have raised serious concerns over whether US authorities sidestepped UK criminal justice procedures, prompting discussions between senior Metropolitan Police officers and government ministers.
A source told the Sun: ‘They should have told Scotland Yard when they carried out the raid, and certainly when they found material.
‘Instead, we believe he was taken to a US airbase before being flown more than 4,000 miles to the area where his brother was under investigation. We understand it was a dawn operation, after which he was driven to the base in a US military convoy.
‘He may ultimately face justice in America, but he should also be brought before the courts in Britain.’
The former US serviceman, who was working at the American Embassy in Nine Elms, south London (pictured), was allegedly removed from his Putney flat following a dawn raid on August 25.
An American diplomat accused of possessing child abuse images was secretly seized from his London home and flown out of Britain by US officials (stock image)
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that American authorities only made them aware of the investigation on August 25 – the day of the alleged raid.
It said: ‘On August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children. We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.’
The diplomat is understood to have been based at the US Embassy in London and to have been living at a private address in Putney.
The operation is believed to have involved Marine Security Guards, who provide security at the US Embassy.
Flight records appear to show an unusual movement by a US-linked cargo aircraft around the time of the alleged extraction.
On August 24, a Kalitta Air Boeing 747-4R7F operating as flight K49709 travelled from Chicago to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where the US Air Force has a significant presence.
The following day, the same aircraft left Fairford at 5.33pm as flight K4529 and arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 7.44pm local time after a journey of seven hours and 11 minutes.
It subsequently departed Dover at 11.22pm and flew to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, taking around one hour and 38 minutes.
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The aircraft was listed as a cargo plane and, according to flight records, had not visited Fairford for at least two months before the August 25 journey.
It is understood that US authorities may have sought a court order in America before the raid, as the investigation centred on the diplomat’s brother.
The diplomatic row has reportedly reached the highest levels of Government, with meetings taking place involving Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and senior ministers including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The claims could prove embarrassing for the UK’s relationship with Washington and come at a particularly sensitive time for Anglo-American relations.
The US Embassy has not confirmed the identity of the individual or provided details of the investigation.
A spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of allegations concerning an individual assigned to the Embassy. The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously.’
The British Government said: ‘We expect all foreign diplomats in the UK to abide by our laws. As a US investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further.’
The same aircraft left Fairford at 5.33pm as flight K4529 and arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 7.44pm local time after a journey of seven hours and 11 minutes
The allegations are likely to revive memories of the long-running dispute between Britain and the US over the case of teenager Harry Dunn, who was killed in a road crash involving American national Anne Sacoolas.
Dunn, 19, died after his motorbike collided with a car driven by Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019.
Sacoolas left Britain and returned to the United States after the crash, with diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf.
The US subsequently rejected a British extradition request after she was charged with causing Dunn’s death by dangerous driving.
The case became a major diplomatic dispute, with the British Government insisting that Sacoolas should return to the UK to face justice.
She ultimately pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was sentenced by a British court in 2022 via a virtual hearing, after refusing to return to Britain.
The Foreign Office said at the time that the case had prompted lessons to be learned over diplomatic immunity.
A 2025 independent review into the Government’s handling of the Dunn case found failures and omissions in the Foreign Office’s response and said ministers and senior officials had not become involved early enough. The Government accepted all 12 recommendations.
The review also noted that changes had since been made to close the anomaly which had allowed the immunity issue to arise in the Dunn case and that a specialist team had been created to handle complex diplomatic immunity cases.
For now, the Metropolitan Police says it remains in contact with US authorities over the investigation.
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