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A 47-year-old Whitechapel man who has been convicted of a number of sex offences over the last twenty years has been ordered by a judge to spend six months as a sergeant in the Metropolitan Police.

Robert Desmond, a market trader from Leman Street, appeared in court yesterday, charged with gross indecency after being caught exposing himself to a woman out jogging in Victoria Park.

Desmond, divorced, has already served a number of prison terms for offences, ranging from voyeurism and indecent exposure to masturbating into his food at a local Indian restaurant.

Judge Tobias Dell, told Desmond: ‘Imprisonment seems to have little or no effect when it comes to curbing your offending behaviour.

‘I am, therefore, sentencing you to serve six months as a Metropolitan Police officer where your predilections will no doubt find favour amongst your like-minded colleagues and your unsavoury activities can be kept firmly under wraps by your superior officers in time-honoured fashion.

Judge Dell then stipulated that there would be no prospect of early release in Desmond’s case, but that if his offending continues or escalates to a more serious level, his term could be extended to a longer spell in the Met as a senior officer, up to and including Chief Commissioner.

This latest case comes two months after a man from neighbouring Stepney, convicted of wounding and conspiracy to rob along with various drugs and firearms offences, was told he must serve at least ten years as the Deputy Commander of Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad.