‘Dangerous’ paedophile used fake police uniform and posed as officer on dating apps

A convicted paedophile who posed as a police officer on dating apps has been jailed for 28 months.

Ex-journalist Bradley Baker, 28, used a fake uniform and warrant cards to travel for free on trains and buses and lied to his ex-partner, family and friends that he worked for British Transport Police (BTP).

Baker, of Handworth, Birmingham, was found out when he was reported to North Wales Police for a separate offence.

He was reported as a serving BTP special constable based in Birmingham, but enquiries quickly established he had never worked for the force.

Officers searched his home on 1 February last year and seized a police uniform including a warrant card badge and holder displaying ‘DC Baker’.

Two fake BTP warrant cards and multiple police lanyards were also recovered by the force.

The convicted paedophile also tried to throw laptops out of his window as officers arrived, which were found to be unregistered.

This breached a sexual harm prevention order, handed to him after he committed three sexual offences involving children in 2018.

A laptop which was later found to be stolen from his previous job as a journalist was also recovered, as well as amounts of cannabis.

Baker pleaded guilty to possession of police articles and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court on 25 March after also pleading guilty to one count of theft by employee and two counts of possession of Class B cannabis.

BTP Constable Jade Ledbroo said: “Possessing fake items of police uniform and posing as a police officer is an extremely serious offence, and I’m glad that the severity of Baker’s delusional actions is reflected in his sentence.

“Sexual harm prevention orders are given to protect the public, and Baker’s blatant disregard for this demonstrates his dangerous mindset.

“Had he not been stopped as a result of this extensive investigation, he could have continued to commit even further, and potentially more serious, crimes – therefore I’m pleased to see him behind bars.”