Rochdale Observer

Police officer who pursued women for sex is jailed

-

A POLICE officer who pursued vulnerable women - including one from Whitworth - for sex has been jailed.

Ihsan Ali, 40, was found guilty by a jury of misconduct in public office and locked up for two years.

He was suspended from duty when he was arrested in April last year and is now facing the sack, force bosses confirmed.

Ali, Preston Crown Court was told, pursued sexual relationsh­ips with four women he was supposed to be helping and dealing with as vulnerable victims of crime. One of the women is believed to have been a victim of domestic violence.

The court was told that Mr Ali attended the home of a woman in Whitworth in October 2016 after a harassment complaint.

They exchanged more than 550 messages over several months, including when the defendant was off-duty.

Miss Johnston told the jury that the woman ‘felt she was being groomed by him’ and that Mr Ali said ‘he fancied her from the first time he had visited her.’

On one occasion Mr Ali met the woman at her home and allegedly ‘grabbed hold of her with both arms and kissed her on the lips.’

The jury was told that the woman ‘kissed him back’ before he allegedly ‘squeezed her buttocks.’

Police chiefs in Lancashire commended the victims for coming forward to report Ali and said he had ‘overwhelmi­ngly breached the position of trust placed upon him.’

Ali, from Bacup, denied four counts of misconduct in public office but was convicted after a trial in Preston.

He was a response officer based in the East Division of Lancashire Police, covering areas including Rossendale, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, the Ribble Valley and Burnley.

Police said ‘concerns’ were raised about Ali in October 2016 and an investigat­ion was launched by the force’s profession­al standards department.

He was arrested in April 2017 and immediatel­y suspended from duty. He will now face disciplina­ry proceeding­s.

Lancashire Constabula­ry’s deputy chief constable, Sunita Gamblin, said Ali would now face disciplina­ry proceeding­s and described ‘abuse of position for a sexual purpose’ as ‘serious corruption.’

She said: “Firstly, I would like to thank and commend the victims in this case for having the bravery to come forward and report these allegation­s to us.

“The outcome would not have been possible without them.

“Ali used his position to target women he knew were vulnerable and contacted them with the sole motive of trying to establish a sexual relationsh­ip with them.

“The public expect and deserve the police service to be profession­al and focussed on keeping people safe, especially those who are most vulnerable.

“Here is an example of an officer who has overwhelmi­ngly breached the position of trust placed upon him. He has totally undermined the police service and the excellent work the vast majority of officers and staff do every day.”

 ??  ?? ●●Ihsan Ali
●●Ihsan Ali

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom