US grabbing ‘paedo’ from UK ‘is two tier justice’, lawyers warn as they say rule of law ‘can’t be a pick-and-mix’

A SECRET US operation to smuggle a paedophile diplomat out of Britain could lead to two-tier justice, a top lawyer has warned. It is feared he may never face a UK court, sparking accusations of a cover-up. A secret US operation to smuggle a paedophile diplomat out of Britain could lead to two-tier justice, a top lawyer has warned How events unfolded We revealed last week that the suspect, who worked at the US Embassy in South West London, had his home raided by a capture squad. The Met was told only when he was on his way to the States. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Mark Stephens, an expert in international litigation, said it was “troubling” that a suspect “can be removed from UK soil before our criminal justice system had an opportunity to engage”. He said: “If we expect foreign diplomats to respect British law, we should also expect their governments to respect British jurisdiction.” US authorities had discovered the man was allegedly sent child abuse material by his brother. Met Police chiefs have held talks with Home and Foreign Office officials, amid calls for his extradition. Marine Security Guards, who patrol the US Embassy in London, are believed to have led the raid Credit: Jetphotos Lawyer Mark Stephens called the move ’embarrassing’ Credit: Alamy A source said: “The word is that he was quite high-up in espionage or military intelligence. “It’s worrying as he could have been committing offences in London, and there could be victims in the UK.” Most read in The Sun The US Embassy said: “We quickly informed UK law enforcement and took swift action, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners.”