A FORMER Warwickshire police officer has admitted sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the 1980s.
David Surridge, 70, of New Green Park in Coventry, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to five counts of indecent assault against a teenage girl aged 13-16.
Surridge was a Special Constable at the time of the offences and later went on to become a regular officer.
The victim met Surridge when she moved to a house near to him in Warwick.
The suspect began to groom her by buying her gifts and alcohol, and taking her for days out. This quickly progressed to sexual abuse.
The victim reported the offending in 2022 after watching a television programme about grooming, telling officers she had previously blamed herself for what had happened but now realised she was a victim.
Surridge was bailed to appear at Warwick Crown Court for sentencing on September 27.
Det Cons Heather Webb, who led the investigation, said: “My thoughts are with the victim who has shown great bravery in reporting her ordeal after so much time has passed. I hope she can take some comfort from this guilty plea.
“Like many victims of grooming, she blamed herself for what happened. To be clear, if you are a victim of sexual abuse, you are never to blame and there are people who will listen to you and offer support.
“As soon as the offending was reported to us, we launched a thorough investigation and ensured support was put in place for the victim.”
Det Supt Paul Thompson, head of professional standards at Warwickshire Police, said: “Surridge was a Special Constable at the time of the offending and will have been aware that what he was doing was wrong. He will now rightly face the consequences of his offending.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/bdfs6p9n for information on reporting child sex abuse.
