A ‘REPREHENSIBLE’ Warwickshire Police officer has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against children.
PC Paul Hanson, 33, committed the offences against three teenage girls in the late 2000s and early 2010s – before he became a police officer.
Following a trial at Warwick Crown Court in December, he was found guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars.
The court heard that Hanson, a response officer based at Bedworth, committed the offences after befriending the girls in Nuneaton.
Det Cons James Pomeroy from Warwickshire Police said: “I’d like to commend the bravery shown by the victims. No child should be subjected to this kind of abuse.
“They have shown incredible courage in supporting this investigation. I hope they can take some comfort from seeing Hanson brought to justice for his crimes.”
Det Supt Paul Thompson, head of professional standards at Warwickshire Police, added: “Hanson’s crimes are reprehensible, and I welcome the prison sentence handed down to him.
“The actions of the likes of Hanson understandably reflect badly on the wider policing profession. However, I would like to emphasise that the overwhelming majority of police officers in Warwickshire go to work each day to make a difference and protect the community.
“Where we find evidence of any wrongdoing amongst officers and police staff we will investigate and look to hold them to account.”
Hanson will now be subject to misconduct proceedings.
Report any concerns about Warwickshire Police officers via www.warwickshire.police.uk/report or by calling 101.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/37v2t8tj for more information on reporting a sexual offence, and the support available.
