POLICE TRAINER JAILED FOR TRYING TO HAVE SEX WITH '15-YEAR-OLD GIRL' WHO WAS ACTUALLY UNDERCOVER COP
Alex Foster, who previously served as a police special constable, has been sentenced to prison after he attempted to meet a girl he believed to be only 15 years old in a KFC restaurant located in Nottinghamshire.The incident unfolded when Foster was caught in the act within the car park of the fast-food establishment, where police officers intercepted him alongside items such as condoms and lubrication, which he was allegedly bringing for sexual purposes.
Foster’s actions came after he engaged in online grooming, having communicated with someone he thought was a teenage girl.
In reality, he was speaking with an undercover officer, but Foster’s intentions remained clear.
During these exchanges, he asked the girl about her experience with boys and explicitly stated that he was looking for someone to have sex with.
The evidence showed that Foster’s conversations were not only inappropriate but also illegal, given the age of the individual he was communicating with.
At the sentencing hearing, Recorder James House KC emphasised the serious breach of trust involved in Foster’s conduct.
He pointed out that Foster’s role as a training officer with Northamptonshire Police placed him in a position of authority and trust, which he exploited for sexual predation.
The recorder further stated that Foster's offending was likely to lead to a greater erosion of public confidence in law enforcement officers.
In his verdict, the judge made it clear that Foster was fully aware that communicating with a 15-year-old girl for sexual purposes was both morally wrong and against the law.
Foster, who is from Northampton, pleaded guilty to three charges related to sexual communication with a minor—these included arranging or facilitating the meeting and intentionally encouraging or assisting the crime.
As a result, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
In addition to his jail term, Foster was subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his activities and contact to prevent further offenses.
He was also registered as a sex offender, thereby ensuring continued monitoring of his conduct.
The investigation into Foster's actions was overseen by the Northamptonshire Police’s counter-corruption unit, with assistance from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Steve Noonan, the IOPC’s director of major investigations, condemned Foster’s behaviour, describing it as reprehensible.
He stated, “Mr Foster’s actions were abhorrent in sexually communicating online with a person he believed to be a child and then arranging and traveling to meet them for sexual purposes.
He has rightly received a prison sentence for his appalling behaviour.
We directed the investigation and I am grateful to the officers involved for their professionalism in bringing this offender to justice.”
