A former Greater Manchester Police constable who sexually assaulted teenagers he was training for his own 'sexual gratification' has been jailed.
Adnan Ali has been sentenced to five years in jail for misconduct in a public office and five sexual assaults on a 16-year-old boy and two young girls. The assaults and misconduct took place between 2015 and 2018 with the young men and women on GMP’s Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme.
A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 36-year-old father, from Old Trafford, used the training scheme as a 'grooming playground' and 'exploited the freedom he was given.' Today, June 23, he was jailed for five years.
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The sexual assaults involved touching a girl cadet inappropriately while giving her a lift home and kissing another in his room while they were away at a camp. The boy had his shoulders rubbed by Ali before his genitals were touched over his clothing while they were together in an apprenticeship office.
Ali, of Leighton Road, also sent hundreds of inappropriate messages per day to young people in his care as well as 'highly inappropriate' photographs, before encouraging them to be sent in return. One sickening text message included: "Just lay in bed... wish u were here xx" and another said: "Wish you were in the bath with me."
Ali was arrested in October 2018 after the force received a complaint that he had been 'behaving inappropriately' towards a 16-year-old boy. His devices were seized and analysed and officers found thousands of messages and identified more victims.
Ali, known as Adz, became police leader of Trafford cadets in 2013 after suffering post traumatic stress disorder after a serious knife injury while on duty. He was based in Stretford and the cadet unit rapidly grew to about 130 cadets, the largest group in Greater Manchester. While he was head of the unit they won local and national awards which enhanced his reputation.
Prosecuting, Anne Whyte KC, told the court that Ali led 'vulnerable young people' who he formed informal relationships with. She described Ali's actions as a "form of grooming" and that he enjoyed the "power disparity" between himself and his victims "knowing they relied upon his good voice for advancement".
Ali's behaviour was described as a 'breach of trust' as he abused the disparity in power between himself and his victims with many of the cadets coming from disadvantaged backgrounds or broken homes.
Jane Osborne KC, defending Ali, conceded this was an 'inherent abuse of trust' but argued the offending in Ali's case was "less serious than in many seen in misconduct cases". She told the court that Ali had no previous convictions and had many good character references from members of the public and colleagues.
Ms Osborne KC added that he still suffers from mental health issues due to the attack in 2013 and that there was much personal mitigation to go in his favour.
Sentencing Ali, Judge Denis Watson, KC, told Ali, who had originally joined GMP as a special constable in 2007: "You were in a highly trusted position.
"The senior officer responsible (for the cadet scheme) changed frequently so you were in day to day control of the scheme...As you were in charge you ignored the guidelines as you thought they didn't apply to you."
Judge Watson KC added that he "knew" running the scheme in an informal way would enable him to become "very close" to young people who would "look up to you". He added that Ali became "very skilled" at "making them feel special despite the age gap".
"You behaved in the most disgraceful way," Judge Watson KC said. Ali was said to have messaged the young people inappropriately "relentlessly".
"It was a gross abuse of power and a gross abuse of trust," Judge Watson KC added. "The impact on these individuals is considerable."
The judge went on to say Ali has heavily damaged public trust in the police with a particularly high breach of trust. "The gains for you were your own sexual gratification," Judge Watson KC told the court.
Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Constable dismissed Ali and ordered that he be barred from policing when gross misconduct was proven in April 2022. As to not prejudice criminal proceedings, the hearing had to be held in private and the outcome could not be published until they had concluded.
Dismissing Ali, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “PC Ali engaged in sexual activity on police premises in an area that was periodically used by young apprentices and Cadets. This was a fundamental breach of the public’s trust in police officers and inevitably brings the profession into disrepute. Further, in doing so, PC Ali must have been aware that his actions were wholly inappropriate for a serving police officer.”
Head of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said: “At a time when policing is subject to such intense scrutiny, particularly in relation to sexual misconduct and abuse of position, Ali’s behaviour will, understandably, damage trust and confidence in the force. However, the public should be reassured by the action GMP, the IOPC and the CPS have taken to secure his arrest, suspension, prosecution, and dismissal.
“Though Ali is now in prison thanks to the commendable bravery of the victims and integrity of those who worked with him, it is the view of Greater Manchester Police that he should never reap the benefits of having been an officer. He has already been added to the College of Policing’s barred list - preventing him from serving for the rest of his life, and we are now following the process to try to ensure that he loses his valuable pension."
