Police officer guilty of child sex offences

A police officer has been found guilty of committing sexual offences against teenage girls.

PC Paul Hanson, from Nuneaton, was convicted on Friday after committing the offences against three girls in the 2000s and early 2010s before becoming an officer, Warwickshire Police said.

The force said the 33-year-old, a response officer based in Bedworth, carried out the crimes after he befriended the children in Nuneaton.

Following a trial at Warwick Crown Court, a jury found him guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, a police spokesperson confirmed.

Det Supt Paul Thompson said Hanson's actions brought shame on the profession.

"He exploited these young, vulnerable girls for his own sexual gratification and will now face the consequences of his actions," he added.

Hanson, who was suspended from duty pending the outcome of the case, has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 23 January.

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