A FORMER police officer has been jailed for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met online.
Haider Siddique was arrested after a bus driver saw him behaving inappropriately with the child and reported the matter to police last March.
The 22-year-old joined West Midlands Police a student police officer in 2021 and had been off sick from November that year.
The force said he was never deployed to an operational role.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Having undertaken training to become a police officer, Siddique should have known the devastating impact child sexual abuse can have on the victims.
“His targeted grooming and sexual abuse of a vulnerable girl was a terrible breach of trust, and we hope she is receiving the care and support she needs.
“We also commend the bus driver who spoke up about Siddique’s behaviour.”
In January Siddique pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child.
He was sentenced to seven years and seven months at Birmingham Crown Court on August 11.
The force said following the guilty plea, an expedited misconduct hearing was held in private and he would have been dismissed if he had not resigned while in custody in March 2022.
Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green said: “This was a sickening criminal act by a former student officer and I know his fellow officers will be repulsed by his behaviour.
“We did not hesitate to arrest and suspend Siddique and carried out a robust and meticulous investigation to establish the full extent of his abuse.
“We are committed to rooting out any member of staff who engages in criminality whenever we find evidence of it.”
Siddique will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.”
He is also subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with conditions in brief of no internet contact with anyone under 16 and no unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 unless parents are aware of the offences.
Lauranne Middleton from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “Haider Siddique grossly abused his position of trust as a student police officer and as an adult to meet and sexually abuse a child.
“We are grateful for the bravery displayed by the young victim and the actions of the bus driver who reported Siddique’s inappropriate behaviour, which led to the police investigation and prosecution of this man.”
