Digi dog Louie hunts out sex offender devices

When it comes to catching sex offenders, we use every tool at our disposal.

And now that includes our best friends in the force’s Dog Section with the introduction of new Digi Dogs.

You might be used to seeing our clever police dogs sniff out drugs, weapons and cash, but our newest recruits have a nose for another specialism – devices.

The force has arrested three registered sex offenders in recent months alone after the dogs hunted out hidden devices storing criminal material.

And just this week, PD Louie and handler PC Dan Cuthbertson assisted the force’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders Unit (MOSOVO) following the arrest of a high risk registered sex offender in the Bishop Auckland area.

The man was suspected of possessing indecent images of children and Louie was vital in sniffing out a mobile phone believed to have been used in the offence which was hidden in a draw.

He also located several covert USB pens disguised as lighters and hard drives which were also seized. 

The man was arrested at the scene, charged, remanded and put before the courts today where he pleaded guilty to all offences. He is due to be sentenced at Durham Crown Court on November 22.

PD Louie was rewarded with his favourite ball.

A MOSOVO officer said: “The use of our digital dogs is a massive asset to our unit because it identifies those dishonest people who try to feed their offending behaviour by hiding devices from being examined.

“Now with this support, we can address this head on and it further enhance the way we can keep the public safe.”