Perverted cop & dad-of-one, 36, who ran training scheme as 'grooming playground' guilty of sexual assault & misconduct

A PERVERTED cop who ran a training scheme as a "grooming playground" has been found guilty of sexual assault and misconduct.

Adnan Ali, from Manchester, was convicted of five counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of misconduct in a public office, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Dad-of-one Ali, 36, a who served with Greater Manchester Police, had denied the offences but was convicted today.

The charges relate to incidents, between 2015 and 2018, involving young men and women enrolled on GMP's volunteer police cadet scheme, the force said.

The former GMP constable also often made late-night inappropriate phone calls to some of the victims – who were boys and girls – and sent photographs of himself in the bath or on the toilet.

Ali ran the Trafford volunteer police cadets from 2013 to 2018, working with teenagers aged between 13 and 17.

In 2016 he was appointed as student officer coordinator by GMP.

The court heard Ali was arrested and suspended in October 2018 after the force received a complaint that he had been behaving inappropriately towards a 16-year-old boy.

Ali had already been dismissed from the force last year when gross misconduct was proven.

Sexualised messages were found on PC Ali's mobile phone, and a number of those who came forward reported being sexually assaulted by the officer, the trial heard.

He was found guilty of sexually assaulting two teenage girls and a 17-year-old boy and having sexualised conversations with six other teenage boys and asking for and sending indecent images to some of them.

The court heard he even formed a relationship with one cadet, who gave birth to his son.

During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, prosecutor Anne Whyte KC described the scheme as "something of a grooming playground for Adnan Ali".

She described how the officer's "overfamiliar conduct" was "deeply unprofessional".

Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane, of GMP, said: "Whilst Ali is responsible for committing these crimes, no-one should be subjected to crime or misconduct during their contact with police officers and staff, like these young people were - for that, and in acknowledgement that Ali could have been better supervised and managed, we are sorry.

"My thanks go to the victims and witnesses who bravely supported the prosecution which secured today's verdict.

"Though trials are a fundamental part of the criminal justice system, the impact they can have on those involved and with whom cases resonate is not underestimated. We will ensure they are supported for as long as they need.

"Alongside the criminal and misconduct investigations, this case initiated a full review of GMP's volunteer police cadet scheme.

"With national oversight, improvements have been and are continuing to be implemented to ensure cadet leaders are the role models they are expected to be and that they do not pose a risk to anyone."

An investigation by the Independent Office of Police Complaints (IOPC) found serious issues with the way the force supervised cadet leaders, including inconsistent training and a lack of safeguarding knowledge.

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said: "Ali's disgraceful behaviour has had a significant impact on his victims and has absolutely no place in policing.

"The investigation also highlighted serious failings in the way cadet schemes were being managed by GMP and we welcome a range of steps taken by the force since these offences were discovered to improve supervision of the officers entrusted with this level of responsibility."

Ali will be sentenced on June 23.