A MET police officer found with a stash of child porn cartoons tried to pin the blame on his ex-girlfriend, a court heard.

Lucas Beach, of Park Drive, Wickford, was also found with 32 indecent photos of a 12-year-old girl in a bikini and dozens of bestiality movies.

Judge Ian Graham called the cartoons a “sick fantasy” that Beach had indulged in since becoming a constable in Romford four years ago.

Basildon Crown Court heard Beach, 33, told officers from Essex Police they would not find any illegal images on his computer after they raided his home in October.

But he added that he allowed anyone in his phone contacts list to access his Wi-Fi and he had recently downloaded a variety of “graphic novels”, although he had not looked at them all.

When the images were found he said the most likely culprit was his former partner.

Charlotte Davison, prosecuting, said: “He gave them the names of five friends who regularly came to his address. He said he could only think it was an ex-girlfriend who lived in Basildon.

“She was spoken to and she gave a statement rebutting what he said. She explained that she had met the defendant at work and had helped him with his application to become a police officer.”

In the statement, the woman said she was “upset” by the allegation. She said: “It’s not unusual for him to lie and try and cover up his mistakes. He always wants people to think the best of him.”

Investigators found some of the images were stored in a folder marked “incest stories” and there had been no attempt to disguise them.

Beach admitted possession of 33 category C indecent images of a child, 2,816 cartoon or CGI prohibited images of children and 73 bestiality videos.

Luke Ponte, mitigating, said Beach has now “come to terms” with his guilt and the fact that he will now be kicked out of the force.

He said: “It’s really the only career that he ever hoped for. But of course this offending will mean that it is no more.”

Judge Ian Graham said Beach could be spared jail because most of the images were not of real children. He said: “They are just fantasies, however sick those fantasies might be.”

Beach was handed a 36 month community order and told to complete an internet sex offender treatment programme. He must sign the sex offenders register for five years.