A DECORATED former police officer has been jailed after showing a porn video to a 14-year-old girl.

Peter Brotherwood, 50, of Seymour Road, Chippenham, pictured, also showed a teenager a sexually explicit photo of her sister that he kept next to his warrant card.

Brotherwood admitted two charges of causing a child to watch a sexual act at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday. He had found the indecent photograph and kept it in his official ID holder before letting the girl's 15-year-old sister see it.

Brotherwood, who retired from Hampshire Constabulary following the allegations, also pleaded guilty to seven charges of making an indecent photograph of a child.

He was jailed for eight months and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

The court heard the police constable showed the teenage girl the video when he was invited into her mother's home to sort out a computer problem in March 2005.

After the sentencing, the mother of the girl to whom Brotherwood showed the video, said: "This is a gross breach of trust. My daughter had her innocence snatched away at 14 years of age.

"She had not even had a boyfriend when this happened. He was a policeman. He knew everything he was doing was an offence."

Brotherwood was arrested following an investigation by Hampshire Police's special investigations department.

Jonathan Davies, prosecuting, said the mother of one of the girls told Brotherwood about explicit photos of her adult daughter, which were hidden in a bottom drawer in her bedroom.

He said: "She recalls saying to the defendant about the photos and discussing with him how she should deal with it.

"There was a strong inference that, having learnt of their existence, the defendant at the very least borrowed them and stored them on his own computer and also kept a hard copy."

Adam Feest, defending, said Brotherwood, whose wife is divorcing him, now accepts what he did was a breach of trust and is remorseful.

He said: "From being a highly-valued and rewarded member of the police force and from being a family man, this defendant has gone from all that to being an isolated, depressed and shamed individual."

Sentencing Brotherwood, Judge Samuel Wiggs said: "If I were not to impose a custodial sentence, the public would, with justification, say there is one law for the police and another law for everyone else."

Brotherwood was a decorated officer who received a Chief Constable's commendation for his work in helping to capture a serial rapist in Southampton.

A spokeswoman said Brotherwood would escape internal disciplinary action because he had left the force.