A former police officer, Paul Harold, has been convicted of the indecent assault of a minor female. Paul Harold, 47, from Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, was convicted today (Friday, 14 March) after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
In 2020, a woman reported an indecent assault that occurred in May 1997, when she was 15 years old. Harold was interrogated in June 2020 and refuted the claim.
On 24 May 1997, Paul Harold apprehended the victim, a teenage girl residing in a care home, on suspicion of theft from a business in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The court was informed that while she was in jail, Harold inscribed his phone number on the reverse of her palm and subsequently contacted her residence.
They convened, and he transported her in his vehicle. On one occasion, he brought her to his residence where the inappropriate assault occurred.
Paul Harold served as a police officer for nine months from October 1996 to June 1997, at which point he quit.
Deputy Chief Constable Jon Roy stated: “This constitutes a blatant violation of responsibility and trust by a police officer who pledged to uphold integrity and adhere to the law merely nine months prior.”
I express my gratitude to the victim who courageously reported Harold’s conduct.
“Our communities justifiably anticipate that police officers uphold exceptional standards of integrity and professionalism, and the result of this case illustrates the extent to which his conduct deviated from these standards.”
He is scheduled for sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 28 April 2025.
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