James Newton-Price has successfully prosecuted a former Bedfordshire policeman who ‘trawled’ Facebook to find vulnerable teenage girls for sex. Mohammad Arshad 35, of Luton, groomed underage girls online and pestered them for sex, sometimes paying them, St Albans Crown Court heard. He began abusing girls in 2012 when he was a CCTV operator in Luton town centre. He became a probationer with the force in April 2014 and was suspended in October that year when his actions came to the attention of other officers.

Arshad, of Ferndale Road, Luton, was convicted of 17 charges: 9 were causing a child to engage in sexual activity, 3 of sexual activity with a child, 2 of meeting a child following sexual grooming, one of rape, causing a child to watch a sexual act and paying for the sexual services of a child. Arshad who was remanded in custody, was told by Judge Jonathan Carroll to expect a “very substantial custodial sentence”.

To read more about the case as reported in the media please click here.