US secretly extracts London diplomat after child porn allegations, UK furious

A US diplomat stationed at the American Embassy in London was allegedly detained and secretly flown back to the United States after investigators found child porn material on his electronic devices, The Sun reported.

The diplomat, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reportedly linked to an investigation involving his brother in the US. The probe allegedly led American authorities to discover the material and culminated in a raid on the diplomat's London residence by US Marines late last month.

What has triggered a diplomatic row, however, is what happened next. British police and officials were reportedly informed only after the diplomat had been taken out of the country, with UK authorities questioning the legality of the operation on British soil.

The reported extraction involved a US military aircraft. On August 24, a Boeing 747 flew from Chicago to a Royal Air Force base in Gloucestershire, where the US military maintains a significant presence, according to reports.

The aircraft returned to the US the following day, landing at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware shortly before 8 pm local time. Less than four hours later, it reportedly departed for Chicago.

The operation has drawn sharp criticism from British politicians.

Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty accused Washington of using its military resources to remove a diplomat from Britain without British jurisdiction being involved.

“US Marines conducting a raid on British soil, on which they have no jurisdiction, to seize one of their own diplomats and then use US military resources to ferry the suspect out of the country and fly him to the US is completely unacceptable,” he wrote on X.The US Government is now protecting paedophiles.US Marines conducting a raid on British soil, on which they have no jurisdiction, to seize one of their own diplomats and then use US military resources to ferry the suspect out of the country and fly him to the US is completely pic.twitter.com/qavWHbIa4j— Ben Obese-Jecty MP (@BenObeseJecty) September 13, 2026

The controversy comes shortly before British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the United Nations in New York.

A UK government spokesperson told The Sun that foreign diplomats in Britain are expected to comply with UK laws, but declined to comment further because the US investigation remains ongoing.

The US Embassy in London said it was aware of allegations involving a person assigned to the embassy and that American personnel are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct.

A US diplomatic source defended the decision to remove the diplomat, saying American officials acted quickly to avoid potentially lengthy delays caused by diplomatic procedures.

The investigation was reportedly triggered by the US-based brother of the diplomat, from whom the alleged material was said to have originated.- EndsPublished By: Nitish SinghPublished On: Sep 14, 2026 03:14 IST