Police officer, 31, is found guilty of raping a child

James Ford, 31, of Hertfordshire Police, was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse against the same child following less than a day of deliberation by jurors at Cambridge Crown Court.

The bearded defendant, formerly of Bishop’s Stortford, was found guilty of four counts of rape, four of sexual assault and two of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also found guilty of carrying out an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, in that he “deliberately wiped his phone by factory resetting his Samsung Mobile phone”.

The offences, which had been denied by the defendant, who served as an intervention officer, happened between 2019 and 2021.

Hertfordshire Police said Ford was suspended from duties in November last year.

The judge in the case, Mr Justice Simon Bryan, remanded Ford in custody ahead of sentencing on Friday.

Releasing jurors, he told them that Ford was “obviously going to have a lengthy custodial sentence – the sentence will be determined by me on Friday”.

Hertfordshire Police said that when allegations emerged, the case was independently investigated by specialist officers based within the Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU) at Cambridgeshire Police.

The matter was also referred to police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the force’s Professional Standards Department.

Ford, a serving officer, joined the force in December 2019 and was originally based in East Hertfordshire as a uniformed response officer, Hertfordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Susie Hine, who heads the Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU) at Cambridgeshire Police, paid tribute to the “courage and bravery” of the child.

“Through the victim’s powerful testimony, the jury were left in no doubt and now a predatory sex offender is behind bars,” she said.

“Cases of this nature are both disturbing and upsetting and I want to reassure the public, there is no place for an offender to hide no matter who they are.

“In this case it was a serving police officer who now faces the custodial consequences of his appalling actions.”

Detective Constable Mark Williamson, the officer in the case, said: “Ford has shown no remorse for his actions and it’s a credit to the victim that the jury saw beyond his lies.

“I would encourage victims of child abuse to reach out to police or support agencies to get the help and support they need, no matter when the offence occurred.

“Ford faces a significant prison sentence for his crimes which I hope gives a sense of justice to the victim and their family.”

Hertfordshire Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer said: “James Ford took advantage of a vulnerable victim in the most appalling way and his behaviour will have devastated those involved.

“Thankfully, due to the bravery of the victim and the due diligence of the officers investigating, he will now serve time in prison which is where he belongs.

“I am disgusted by his actions and he will face a fast track hearing for dismissal.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a police officer, Ford would have been all too aware of the devastation child sexual abuse can cause its victims.

“But he disregarded this and his duty to protect people from harm as he embarked on a campaign to sexually abuse this young girl.

“Speaking out about abuse takes great courage and we hope this young victim is receiving all the support she needs to help her recover from the harm she has suffered at the hands of Ford.”