A police officer who repeatedly raped an underage lady, recorded her abuse after which tried to delete the proof has been jailed.
Hertfordshire Police’s James Ford was discovered responsible of 10 counts of sexual abuse towards a woman beneath 13 on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old subjected the kid to a ‘horrific catalogue of significant sexual offending’ between 2019 and 2021.
Mr Justice Simon Bryan at this time put Ford behind bars for 18 years and three months. He was additionally made the topic of a Sexual Hurt Prevention Order.
The rapist should serve two thirds of his custodial time period earlier than he will be thought of for launch on licence.
The decide described the sufferer’s proof as ‘extremely credible’, including: ‘Her graphic descriptions of your offending are as harrowing as they’re convincing.’
Addressing the defendant instantly, Justice Simon stated: ‘As a serving police officer you, of all individuals, ought to have protected society towards sexual abusers, and also you acted as a perpetrator of such vile crimes your self.’
He stated Ford he was a ‘shame to his workplace’, including that his conduct ‘overshadows the numerous events when courageous officers behave with honour and propriety, and demand the best of respect from the general public’.
The lady’s mum informed Cambridge Crown Courtroom: ‘It’s best to be capable of belief a police officer.’
She described Ford as a ‘disgusting excuse of a human being’, including: ‘No jail sentence is ever going to be lengthy sufficient for what occurred.’
The lady stated her daughter was a ‘candy, harmless, chatty, pleasant lady’ however is ‘not the joyful, sociable lady she was earlier than’.
‘No baby ought to must undergo what she has,’ she added.
Ford, who beforehand denied the allegations towards him, confirmed no response as he was led to the cells.
The defendant was convicted of 4 counts of rape, 4 of sexual assault and two of inflicting or inciting a baby beneath the age of 13 to have interaction in sexual exercise.
He was additionally discovered responsible of finishing up an act tending and supposed to pervert the course of public justice, in that he ‘intentionally wiped his telephone by manufacturing facility resetting his Samsung Cell phone’.
Jurors have been glad Ford had wiped his telephone as he ‘knew or suspected materials regarding the offences’ was on it.
The decide stated this was per the lady’s proof that Ford was ‘pointing (his) telephone at her whereas acts of sexual abuse have been happening’.
Ford joined the Hertfordshire Police pressure in December 2019 as a uniformed response officer based mostly in East Hertfordshire.
After the kid intercourse abuse accusations got here out, Ford was suspended from duties final November.
Chief constable Genna Telfer stated she was ‘disgusted’ by her officer’s actions, including: ‘He’ll face a quick monitor listening to for dismissal.’
Ford’s defence lawyer stated: ‘He has solely himself in charge however these convictions imply he’s irrevocably misplaced his profession.’
She added that he would have ‘issue in jail’ due to the character of his crimes and since he’s a former police officer.
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