Police officer revealed as one of UK's worst serial sex offenders

A UK police officer has admitted to dozens of counts of rape and sexual assault in a London court on Monday, making him one of the country's most prolific sex offenders.

Constable David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 offences including 24 counts of rape.

The offences mostly took place near where he lived in Hertfordshire, outside of London, and spanned a period of 17 years. During that time, he worked for the Metropolitan Police safeguarding diplomatic and parliamentary premises.

Carrick met some of his victims through online dating sites, or in social situations, and used his job as a police officer to gain the trust of the women he went on to abuse.

He admitted to raping women on multiple occasions, over months or years, with some of the attacks involving violence that would have left the women physically injured.

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Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Barbara Gray told Britain's Sky News that they are "truly sorry" for missing opportunities to identify Carrick when numerous complaints were made about his conduct over the years.

"He abused that power that he had as a police officer and used that to control the women who were his victims, and I'm so sorry that will have prolonged the suffering that those women will have had and I'm in awe of them coming forward now and seeing him to a successful conviction," said Gray.

After initial guilty pleas in December, the Metropolitan Police stopped Carrick's salary and launched an accelerated misconduct process. There is a hearing on Tuesday and he is expected to be dismissed.

Police say they think more of Carrick's victims could come forward after Monday's court case.