Volunteer police chief is fired after Palantir probe found sexual images of woman on work phone

Published: 11:18 BST, 10 October 2026 | Updated: 12:42 BST, 10 October 2026

A police chief has been sacked after he was caught by an AI software using his work phone to send himself sexual images of a woman.

Special Chief Officer James Deller, who headed the force's Special Constables was stripped of his position after an accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday.

SCO Deller was leading part-time, voluntary police officers and was among more than 100 officers flagged after monitoring software developed by US tech giant Palantir Technologies was introduced in April.

Investigators found that in July and August 2025, SCO Deller had used his police-issued device to photograph intimate images of a woman sent to his personal phone.

The original images were sent using WhatsApp's 'view once' feature, designed to make images disappear after they have been opened.

He then sent copies back to his personal device before deleting them from his work phone.

SCO Deller, who was in a voluntary role, will now be added to the College of Policing’s barred list and will not be eligible to serve in policing again.

However, the matter has not been treated as a criminal investigation. 

Special Chief Officer James Deller, who headed the force's Special Constables was striped of his position after a misconduct hearing on Friday

Other officers caught up in the operation have faced allegations including fraud, sexual assault and misconduct in public office.

Two officers have already been arrested over separate unspecified allegations.

The Met Police Federation, which represents around 30,000 officers, criticised the use of the technology and warned against treating rank-and-file police with suspicion.

Software company Palantir, founded by tech magnate Peter Thiel, holds contracts with other UK public sector bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.

The US tech giant's involvement in the UK has been controversial, with Palantir currently suing London Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan of Tooting's office after he blocked a £50 million deal with the Metropolitan Police.

Commander Pete Stevens said: 'The vast majority of Met officers and staff serve London with dedication and integrity, and they rightly expect robust action against the small minority who abuse their position and undermine public trust.

'That is particularly true of those who serve in the Special Constabulary. They are volunteers who selflessly give up their time to keep London safe. They deserve to be led by people who demonstrate the highest standards in all parts of their lives.

'SCO Deller failed to meet that bar. He let himself down but more importantly, he let the Special Constabulary down. His actions were an abuse of the trust put in him and it is right that he is no longer able to serve in policing.'

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is under significant pressure from Labour MPs and unions to end Government contracts with Palantir.

Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, who recently joined Palantir, warned against 'mob rule' in Government procurement practices.

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest told BBC's Political Thinking With Nick Robinson: 'One of the things I'd say to my former colleagues is 'Do you want to let the rule of law lead procurement practice, or do you want to let mob rule lead procurement practices?'

'Because you get yourself in a lot of trouble if you go down on the latter one.'

In May, Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee that officers were not under any 'additional surveillance in the workplace' after the force used AI in a bid to root out bad behaviour.

He said the force had weighed the reputational risk of using the 'divisive' technology, which he said identified 'unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours' from officers.