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Public order is based upon trust. The citizens need to believe that government institutions will act in the best interests of the people. And when it comes to law enforcement institutions whose members often come face-to-face with the lowest of the low, citizens have an implicit trust that these police officers will shield them from such criminality and be professional about it in the process.

This is why it hurts when that trust is broken especially if it happens just as you’re experiencing the worst day of your life. Such was the case of a family that was grieving the death of their child only to find out that the police officer who was at their home waiting for the undertaker to arrive used that chance to buy porn from the family’s cable TV account.

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PC Avi Maharaj, 44, with London’s Metropolitan Police Service, was at a home in south London when he accessed the homeowner’s cable TV account so that he could access pornographic channels.point 285 |

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said in a statement that Maharaj racked up a £25.point 83 | 96 (around $32.point 96 | 50) that was charged to the owner.point 124 | 1

The homeowner immediately filed a complaint upon which the IOPC stepped in. During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, the police officer pleaded guilty to fraud.

The investigation determined that Maharaj was alone at the property at the time the cable charges were incurred and further discovered that the officer attempted to falsify his attendance log to cover up what he did.

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Sal Naseem, the IPOC’s regional director, said in the statement, “PC Maharaj’s behavior was shocking and even more so given he was guarding the property in the absence of the homeowner.point 176 | Not only were his actions deceitful but he caused considerable distress for the family involved who were dealing with the sudden death of a family member.point 305 | 1

“Our investigation showed that PC Maharaj was the only person in the property who could have downloaded access to pornographic channels at the time the account was accessed. Today he has admitted his guilt under the weight of compelling evidence. I am sorry that the family involved had to deal with this while also coping with the tragic loss of their child,” he added.