Officer who groomed teen for sex may have set up fake model agency to lure more victims
A special constable who groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old girl he met in a hotel has been jailed for five years.
Aug 10, 2016
By Nick Hudson
A special constable who groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old girl he met in a hotel has been jailed for five years.
An investigation discovered Christian Richardson, who changed his name by deed poll to America Luke Richardson, sent an estimated 4,000 messages to the Essex teenager.
The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer had previously been dismissed by the force after he stole uniform and visited schools without authorisation, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The 22-year-old admitted one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming, seven of sexual activity with a child and one of making indecent photographs of a child.All the charges refer to the same victim.
Richardson is also suspected of setting up a fake model agency to lure other victims and the force has launched an investigation into an online agency he ran.
It is feared there may be other victims and GMP has issued an appeal for them to come forward.
The offences were committed in Essex between August 2013 and August 2014 after Richardson travelled to meet the victim.
Richardson also pleaded guilty to theft of police uniforms and equipment on January 14 this year at Liverpool Crown Court.
Richardson was suspended in January 2014 by GMP after finding he had “used his role inappropriately”.
He was initially investigated by the forces Professional Standards Department as concerns were raised in relation to him attending Walkden High School and purporting to be the local school-based officer.
Following his suspension, Richardson again went into a sixth form college and was later arrested on suspicion of theft after a search at his home recovered a large quantity of police uniforms worth £970.
A separate investigation began in September 2015 after allegations arose of inappropriate contact with children, said GMP.
In October last year Richardson was arrested and a second search of his home was undertaken and his computer, phone and tablets were seized.
The force went on to discover evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl from Essex.
The confiscated phone and computer equipment revealed 4,000 messages had been sent to the girl in Essex and the victim revealed that the pair had met up in a hotel booked by Richardson.
They also seized a stash of GMP uniforms, handcuffs and a baton. A Metropolitan Police Service uniform, and military uniform were also recovered plus a United Airlines air steward uniform and two imitation police issue Glock guns.
As a result of the findings linking him to child sex abuse, the forces disciplinary proceedings were fast-tracked and Richardson was dismissed by the force.
In December 2015 he was charged with a number of sexual offences and was remanded into custody.
Superintendent Mark Kenny from GMPs Salford Borough said: I am pleased that America Luke Richardson is now off the streets and unable to harm any more young girls.
We are continuing to investigate the possibility that he may have more victims and we are appealing for anyone who may have been approached inappropriately by him online, or in person to come and speak to police.
Richardson joined GMP in May 2013, as soon as it was discovered that Richardson was behaving inappropriately he was removed from all duties.
In addition to his five-year prison sentence, Richardson was also given a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender register for life.
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