A detective constable of the Greater Manchester Police, Stephen Hardy, has been sentenced to 26 years for raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Hardy was convicted guilty of 20 charges, including six counts of rape.
The victim, whose identity was not revealed, stated that the assault had permanently harmed her mental health and made her fearful for her future.
She also expressed doubt that she would ever be able to fully trust officers of law enforcement.
“I maintain a deep fear of authority figures, despite overcoming that fear to report these crimes. His position in the Greater Manchester Police force has deeply affected me,” she stressed.
Delivering the judgment, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said during the sentencing that Hardy used his teenage victim as a “puppet or sex object.”
Trevor-Jones said, “You have never shown one iota of remorse for your behaviour.
“The indictment reflects a highly calculated and cynical course of grooming behaviour.”
He described the detective constable as having a “devious” personality with a “sinister streak.”
“You have been a long-serving police officer. That is a career that will now inevitably end,” the judge said
