Paul Davies 62

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A DUDLEY cop who persuaded a teenage girl he met while investigating an incident at a college to send him naked photographs of herself has been jailed for nine months.

Pc Paul Davies had earned considerable praise during his near 30 year service with the West Midlands Force for helping youngsters avoid crime and lead law abiding lives.

But Davies who worked as a Young Persons Officer with Dudley Police took "leave of his senses" after he started to engage in sexual phone chats with the 17-year-old student.

The 57-year-old officer got the girls details while probing reports of a suspicious male on the College campus and after their phone chats he got her to send him five photographs of her posing naked.

Davies, a married man with two adult sons, was rumbled after the girl was spoken to by police and she provided them with details of what had gone on, said Alex Warren prosecuting.

He told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Davies who was named West Midland Beat Officer of the year in 2009 was arrested and the photographs were recovered from his mobile.

Judge James Burbidge QC told Davies it was serious offending because of the disparity in their ages adding, "It was not an abuse of trust but you were in a very trusting position."

The judge said Davies who showed no reaction as he was lead away to begin his jail term had clearly worked hard in the past to help young people avoid crime and to lead structured lives.

But he said it was clear he had encouraged the creation of the photographs - it was all at his instigation and he had "groomed" the teenager to a degree.

Davies, he went on, had attended the college to investigate an incident having been in a position of safeguarding anyone on the premises and he had spoken to the girl and another 17-year old.

"You well knew her age because you had taken her personal details," said the judge but he had then clearly decided to take things further.

Davies, a former member of the Wrens Nest and Milking Bank Neighbourhood team admitted making the indecent images. between March 12 and April 15 last year.

Mr Warren said it was not suggested Davies who left the police force after his arrest had used his position to put pressure on the teenage girl.

He said a friend of the girl had also encouraged her to go along with it but she had engaged with Davies in his professional capacity.

Simon Hunka, defending, said Davies, of Thoresby Croft, Upper Gornal, had initiated the sexual chat which it was accepted was "thoroughly inappropriate behaviour."

He was ashamed of his actions having fallen from grace. "He was a local police officer for the area for many, many years and the uncomfortable reality is that people who looked up to him now find it difficult to meet his eye."

Mr Hunka said Davies had quite literally lost everything. His standing in the community had gone and he was finding it difficult to find another job.

He said Davies had run programmes at schools and colleges in the Dudley area for young people and he read out references from families where the former police officer had gone beyond the call of duty to assist their children.