Former police officer who used cadet scheme as 'grooming playground' found guilty of sexual assault

A former police officer was today found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of misconduct in a public office, after it emerged he had used a cadet scheme for youngsters as a "grooming playground".

Pc Adnan Ali, 36, was arrested in 2018 following a complaint about inappropriate behaviour towards a 16-year-old boy, and discovered thousands of phone messages had been sent to other potential victims who attended Greater Manchester Police’s Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme.

During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, prosecutor Anne Whyte KC described the scheme as "something of a grooming playground for Adnan Ali", describing how the officer's "overfamiliar conduct" was "deeply unprofessional".

"There was not one aspect of PC Ali’s employment duties that either necessitated or justified the constant drip of over familiarity used to gain the confidence of young cadets and there was no excuse for the sexual familiarity that characterised so many of his relationships at work," Whyte said.

Ali had been dismissed from Greater Manchester Police in 2022, when gross misconduct was proven, and the force has vowed to "ensure predatory employees are rooted and booted out".

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Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said: “Whilst Ali is responsible for committing these crimes, no one should be subjected to crime or misconduct during their contact with police officers and staff, like these young people were – for that, and in acknowledgement that Ali could have been better supervised and managed, we are sorry."

The hearing was held in private so as not to prejudice the outcome of the trial, and Ali will be sentenced at a later date.

Greater Manchester Police is also set to make the case that Ali should not receive a police pension following the verdict, and has announced it is re-vetting "all GMP officers and staff".

Head of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said: “Today’s verdict will do nothing to ease the public’s concerns about police misconduct. However, Ali represents the very worst and the minority in policing - he is among a very small percentage who discredit the police service and undermine trust and confidence in it.

"These individuals are being rooted and booted out by exemplary colleagues reporting their behaviour, investigating allegations, building cases against them, and playing a crucial role in proceedings to ensure they face the full force of the criminal justice system and have the many privileges of working in policing taken from them."