British MPs and legal experts have called for the return of a US diplomat who was removed from the United Kingdom last month amid allegations of possessing indecent images of children. According to officials and reports, the diplomat was secretly taken from his home in Putney, southwest London, and transported to the United States without prior notification to the Metropolitan Police or other UK authorities.

The operation reportedly followed an investigation into the diplomat’s brother, who lives in Illinois and was suspected of sending child abuse imagery to the diplomat. Subsequent searches at the diplomat’s residence uncovered further illegal material. A specialized unit then escorted the individual to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where he boarded a cargo flight bound for Delaware and later continued to Chicago.

Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty described the covert removal as “absolutely grotesque” and criticized the US government for protecting individuals accused of such crimes. International litigation lawyer Mark Stephens also condemned the US action, stating that it showed a disregard for British law and international legal protocols, effectively shielding a citizen from prosecution.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that on August 25, US authorities informed them of an investigation into suspected offenses relating to child indecent images in London. British and US agencies continue to cooperate, but officials expressed concern that the Metropolitan Police and other British institutions were only notified after the suspect’s departure from the country. Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has held crisis meetings regarding the incident, while the UK government is being kept updated on developments. Ministers were scheduled to discuss the matter in talks held during the week.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2019 incident involving Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old British man killed in a road accident in Northamptonshire by US citizen Anne Sacoolas, who left the UK shortly afterward and did not return despite legal requests.

The US Embassy in London said it remains committed to working with law enforcement partners and did not comment specifically on the diplomat’s removal. British authorities continue to investigate and liaise with their American counterparts as the situation develops.