A 38-year-old student police officer was accused of having sex with a boy, 14, inside a parked car while off duty, a misconduct hearing heard. PC Ahmad Shoaib would have been sacked had he not resigned after the reported incident.
Despite 14 being under the age of consent, there was insufficient evidence to charge Shoaib with a criminal offence, and he was released with no further action. An accelerated misconduct hearing on January 14, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills, found that a former student officer would have been dismissed from the force if he hadn’t already resigned.
Shoaib breached the standard of discreditable conduct, as set out in the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, a spokesperson for the force said. It was alleged on April 29, 2023, PC Shoaib engaged in sexual activity with the boy while in his car in a public place.
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A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “We were made aware of the incident after his arrest by West Midlands Police and he was suspended from West Mercia Police on May 2, 2023.
“Following the arrest of Shoaib, West Midlands police carried out a thorough investigation. There was insufficient evidence to charge him with a criminal offence, so he was released with no further action.”
Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “PC Shoaib was in the very early stages of his police training. I’m glad that this allegation came to light so quickly so that we were able to take action before he had the chance to work with the public.
“Cases like this undermine the trust the public has in us, which in turn undermines the hard work and dedication our officers show day in and day out. Officers like Shoaib have no place in our force, and our commitment to removing them will continue.”
Shoaib will now be added to the College of Policing’s Barred List, banning him from working for a UK police service in the future. The outcome of the hearing is subject to the normal appeals process.