United States of America

USAF Officer Identified in UK Child Abuse Images Probe

Is the U.S. abusing diplomatic immunity to shield its citizens from U.K. justice or will Morris face real accountability at home?

5 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

USAF Officer Identified in UK Child Abuse Images Probe

Story

Above: The U.S. Embassy building in London, U.K., on March 18, 2025. Image credit: Chris Harris/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Facts

A U.S. diplomat accused of possessing child sex abuse images, who was flown out of the country before British police could question him, has been named as Lt. Col. Michael Morris, according to reports on Tuesday.
Independent
The Sun
A United States Air Force (USAF) spokesperson told British media that Morris, formerly an assistant military attaché at the U.S. embassy in London, has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography and obstructing justice.
Sky News
LBC
Morris, now assigned to the Air Force District of Washington, will attend a military hearing in November at Joint Base Andrews and will enter a plea if the hearing refers the case to court-martial, the Air Force added.
The Telegraph
BBC News
The news comes as Morris' brother, Benjamin Morris, 33, is on trial in Illinois over the possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, which he denies. Prosecutors say he shared images with his brother while Michael Morris was stationed in London.
Belfast Telegraph
KWQC
Rock Island Police Department arrested Benjamin in June responding to a report from "Predator Poachers Illinois," which said it used a decoy posing as a minor. He faces more than 30 charges of possession and dissemination of child abuse material.
Rock Island Police Department on Facebook
KWQC
The development follows the case of USAF Captain Jacob Wulfson earlier this year, who avoided a U.K. trial under British law for strangling a woman in Cambridge, England, despite the incident occurring while Wulfson was off-duty.
The Guardian
ITV News

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Time and again, the U.S. abuses the privileges awarded to its representatives in the U.K. to avoid criminal responsibility. Diplomatic immunity was meant to shield envoys from hostile governments, not act as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Despite this, the U.S. government continues to hold U.K. law and victims in utter contempt, as demonstrated by this latest shameful episode.

The Times (UK)

UK Parliament

Pro-establishment narrative

The U.S. has consistently been clear that Americans must respect U.K. law. It has also repeatedly stressed that it will prosecute certain crimes, particularly those against minors, itself, even if they are committed overseas. In this vein, the U.S. decision to pull Morris from the U.K. cannot honestly be called avoiding accountability, when he will answer for the allegations at home.