Volunteer Met police officer - who posed as a teenage girl - jailed for sexually assaulting a child
James Bubb from Chesham in Buckinghamshire now identifies as a woman
Last updated 20th Mar 2026
A volunteer Metropolitan Police officer who raped and sexually assaulted a child has been jailed for 24 years.
James Bubb, who now identifies as a woman named Gwyn Samuels, groomed one of two victims online before sexually assaulting her when she was just 12 years old.
Samuels was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the girl after a trial last summer.
The 28-year-old was also found guilty of raping a woman whom the defendant met online while posing as a 16-year-old girl.
The former special constable was sentenced to a total of 32 years, made up of 24 years’ imprisonment and a further eight years on extended licence, at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday.
**_“You abused the most intimate trust of each of your victims"_**
Sentencing the defendant, Judge Jonathan Cooper said: “You abused the most intimate trust of each of your victims.
“In each case you systematically groomed your victim, first to befriend them, then to abuse them, finally to bend them to your will.
“This was a campaign of abuse against each that was intended to break their will entirely.”
Throughout the trial the defendant was referred to by their biological sex but during the first sentencing hearing last week, the judge said that since they have transitioned, they should be known by their new identity of Gwyn Samuels.
Jurors at the trial heard the officer sexually assaulted the girl in public shortly before her 13th birthday.
The trial was told Samuels was violent towards the girl when the defendant raped and sexually abused her in her early teens – with the victim telling police the 28-year-old choked and punched her.
Samuels met their victim in an online chat site
Amersham Law Courts heard Samuels met their first victim on chat roulette site Omegle in 2018 before meeting in person for the first time at a Christian festival a few months later.
The girl said the defendant looked “paranoid” when they were with her and she was being “hidden” when they were in public together – telling police her festival colour-coded child wristband was clearly on show.
Samuels’s first victim also said the defendant spoke “a lot about the powers he had” in their role with the Met as a special constable.
The court heard the officer raped their second victim, a woman who had just turned 18 when she met the defendant, while they were in an on-off relationship between January 2018 and February 2023.
In relation to the first victim, Samuels was found guilty of one count of raping a child under 13, one count of sexual activity with a child, one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, and one count of assault by penetration.
The defendant, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child in relation to that complainant, and found guilty of one count of rape against the second victim.
All charges took place between January 1, 2018 and April 2, 2024.
Judge: "you are a very significant risk to women"
The judge said he understands the defendant, who has been in the male prison estate while in custody, will remain there.
“The key point is that you are a very significant risk to women,” Judge Cooper said.
“This is not predicated on your trans status, but on your criminal status.”
Samuels was also made the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, banning them from contacting young women.
In a personal address to Samuels’ victims after the defendant left court, the judge told the victims: “Over time, I hope the fact that you are survivors of abuse is ultimately more important to your future lives than the fact you were victims of it.
“I have to acknowledge that your ordeal at the hands of this defendant was made infinitely more challenging by your experiences of the criminal justice system.
“There were delays and frustrations at every turn. At various times you felt that power was in the hands of the defendant. Ultimately, power was in your own hands, and particularly in your own voices.
“The power of your evidence was heard and recognised by the jury in this case.”
Paul Robson, a lawyer from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The defendant targeted these victims and exploited their vulnerability and trust.
“When the victims asked for the abuse to stop, they were ignored.
“The defendant had clearly sought to attain positions of trust within the community to gain the trust of the victims and the people around them.
“The offending has had a profound effect on the victims, and we are very grateful to them for their unwavering support throughout this prosecution.
“As this case shows, we will prosecute those who exploit and harm others, and hope this serves as a warning that justice will come to those who offend in this way.”
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Kirsty Pendle said: “I want to pay tribute to the incredible courage and strength shown by both victims in coming forward and supporting this investigation through to court proceedings. Their bravery has been vital in bringing this offender to justice.”
“We keep an open mind as to whether Gwyn Samuels, formerly known as James Bubb, has committed any other offences.
“If you have any information about this defendant, please contact us quoting Operation Aspect. You can visit a police station, call 101, or leave details via our website.”