West Midlands police officer admits grooming girl online before abducting and sexually assaulting her

A former police officer has admitted grooming, abducting and sexually assaulting a vulnerable 13-year-old girl while he was on duty.

Haider Siddique, who was with West Midlands Police, met his victim online and groomed her for sexual purposes while claiming to be offering her support, the force said.

The 22-year-old admitted the offences at Birmingham Crown Court today, as well as a charge of inciting a child to commit a sex act.

He was only arrested after a bus driver spotted him acting inappropriately towards the victim in March 2022, whilst he was on long-term sick leave.

The sharp-eyed and conscientious driver then alerted the force to what they had seen on the bus, leading to an investigation and identification of the victim.

Siddique had joined the force as a student officer in August 2021, before going on long-term sick leave in November that year.

The force said he had never been deployed in an operational role.

Mark Brookes, prosecuting, told the court: 'At the time of these offences Siddique was a serving student police officer. It involved a period in March 2022. She was 13 and he was 21. She was a child and is still of course a child.

'It is the prosecution case during that month she was abducted by him and on two separate occasions he had sex with the complainant.'

Mr Brookes said on one occasion, during that period, Siddique and the victim had gone to Stechford police station together when the girl made a complaint about her mother disciplining her.

A bus driver based at the Perry Barr depot saw the girl and the defendant get on his bus on March 21 last year, the court heard. Mr Brookes said: 'He recognised the girl. The driver showed the driver what he believed to be a police warrant card.'

Mr Brookes said during the journey the driver looked in the mirror and could see the two of them sitting on the same seat. 'He could see him touch her back and they looked close.

'He thinks they kissed goodbye. The complainant got off at her stop and he was so concerned he reported it to the police. It appeared strange, it appeared to be weird.'

Mr Brookes said the girl's mother told police that, in the previous few months, her daughter's behaviour had changed from being friendly to 'swearing and saying horrible things'.

He said she had also received a number of WhatsApp messages sent by Siddique, who was posing as one of the girl's friend's mothers asking if she could stay out.

Police searched the victim's bedroom and recovered some of her clothing. It was later tested and mixed DNA, to which Siddique could have contributed, was found.

Speaking after today's hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: 'This was a sickening criminal act by a former student officer, who appeared to be offering support to this vulnerable young girl but was in fact grooming her sexually.'

She said the force had conducted a 'robust and meticulous' investigation, and is 'committed to rooting out any member of staff who engages in criminality'.

The senior officer said Siddique's crimes had 'significantly impacted' on his victim, adding colleagues would be 'repulsed by his behaviour'.

Siddique resigned while in custody, after his arrest, and will be sentenced on March 3.