Former student officer at West Midlands Police pleads guilty to sexual assault of 13-year-old girl

Ex-Pc Haider Siddique from Birmingham was arrested after a bus driver spotted him acting inappropriately towards the victim on a bus in March last year.

The bus driver's actions alerted the police to the 22-year-old, who was on long-term sick leave, and police enquiries identified the victim.

Siddique resigned whilst in custody and pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to commit a sexual act, child abduction and grooming at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

He joined the force in August 2021, but had been off sick since November that year and was never deployed to an operational role. He has now been remanded pending sentencing on March 3.

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.

“We did not hesitate to arrest Siddique and have carried out a robust and meticulous investigation to establish the full extent of his abuse. We are committed to rooting out any member of staff who engages in criminality whenever we find evidence of it.

"Siddique’s crimes will have significantly impacted upon his victim, and I know his fellow officers will be repulsed by his behaviour."

Siddique, from Allwood Gardens in Birmingham, resigned whilst in custody. After the criminal court case has concluded, the force will convene a ‘former officer’ misconduct hearing.