A police officer who raped a lady underneath the age of 13 was branded a “disgrace” as he was jailed for 18 years and three months.
James Ford, 31, of Hertfordshire Police, was discovered responsible of 10 counts of sexual abuse in opposition to the identical baby in an earlier trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
The decide within the case, Mr Justice Simon Bryan, described it as a “horrific catalogue of serious sexual offending against a young child”.
Ford, previously of Bishop’s Stortford, was additionally discovered responsible of perverting the course of justice after he wiped his cell phone to cowl up his crime.
The decide mentioned the jury was happy that Ford had wiped his telephone as he “knew or suspected material relating to the offences” was on it.
He mentioned this was according to the lady’s proof that Ford was “pointing [his] phone at her while acts of sexual abuse were going on”.
The decide described the lady’s proof as “incredibly credible”, including: “Her graphic descriptions of your offending are as harrowing as they are convincing.”
Crime will ‘trigger him issue in jail’
Fiona Robertson, Ford’s authorized counsel, mentioned Ford has no earlier convictions.
“He has only himself to blame but these convictions mean he’s irrevocably lost his career,” she mentioned, including that his job and the “nature of the allegations will cause him difficulty in prison”.
Addressing the defendant, the decide mentioned: “As a serving police officer you, of all people, should have protected society against sexual abusers, and you acted as a perpetrator of such vile crimes yourself.”
He instructed Ford he was a “disgrace to your office”, including that his conduct “overshadows the countless occasions when brave officers behave with honour and propriety, and demand the greatest of respect from the public”.
Ford should serve not less than two thirds of his jail sentence earlier than he will be eligible for launch.
He was additionally made the topic of a sexual hurt prevention order and given a restraining order in respect of the lady.
Ford was discovered responsible of 4 counts of rape, 4 of sexual assault and two of inflicting or inciting a baby underneath the age of 13 to have interaction in sexual exercise.
The offences, which had been denied by the defendant, occurred between 2019 and 2021.
Fast-tracked for dismissal
Hertfordshire Police mentioned Ford, who joined the drive in December 2019 and was initially primarily based in East Hertfordshire as a uniformed response officer, was suspended from duties final November.
He will now face a fast-track listening to for dismissal.
The lady’s mom mentioned, in a sufferer impression assertion learn to the courtroom by prosecutor Isobel Ascherson: “You should be able to trust a police officer.”
She described Ford as a “disgusting excuse of a human being”, including: “No prison sentence is ever going to be long enough for what happened.”
The girl described her baby as a “sweet, innocent, chatty, friendly girl” however mentioned that she is “no longer the happy, sociable girl she was before”.
“No child should have to go through what she has,” she mentioned.
Source: information.sky.com”