UK Lawmakers Push for Investigation Into U.S. Diplomat's Removal

British ministers have called for an investigation into the reported secret removal of a U.S. diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children.

According to a report by The Sun, U.S. authorities raided the diplomat's London residence last month, detained him, and flew him to a U.S. airbase without notifying British police in advance. The report noted that U.S. personnel had no powers of arrest in Britain, and that no formal extradition request was made prior to his removal.

The development has raised concerns within Britain and could add further strain to relations between London and Washington.

Conservative lawmaker Nick Timothy urged Justice Secretary Alex Norris to ensure the diplomat stands trial in an English court, should the alleged offences have been committed on British soil.

A UK government spokesperson declined to comment directly on the case, citing the ongoing U.S. investigation, but stressed that foreign diplomats are expected to comply with British law while in the country.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed it was aware of allegations involving one of its staff members and said it had acted swiftly while keeping British authorities informed. It stated that the diplomat had been reassigned to the United States in connection with an ongoing investigation, and that it would continue cooperating with UK law enforcement.

The Metropolitan Police said U.S. authorities notified them on August 25 of an investigation into suspected offences involving indecent images of children in London, adding that they remain in contact with U.S. authorities regarding the matter.

Timothy described the incident as part of a "concerning pattern" in how alleged offences committed by American personnel against British civilians have been handled. He cited the case of U.S. fighter pilot Jacob Wulfson, who was convicted by a U.S. military court of strangulation and sentenced to six months in prison, as well as the case of former U.S. State Department employee Anne Sacoolas, who left Britain following a 2019 road crash that killed 19-year-old Harry Dunn. Sacoolas later pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for one year.