Ex-West Midlands Police sergeant may face jail on child grooming charges
A police sergeant who was sacked after admitting two child grooming charges has been warned that he may face a jail term.
Stephen Shaw, who sent an indecent image of himself to an undercover officer, was dismissed without notice by West Midlands Police in September after a misconduct hearing chaired by his Chief Constable.
A hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court last August was told Shaw sent messages to a social media account being operated by an undercover officer posing online as a 12-year-old girl.
Shaw was arrested on August 22 and appeared in court the following day to admit charges of attempting to cause or incite a female under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
The Luton-born 46-year-old, who served in the Coventry area, was granted bail at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday after being told he may face a custodial sentence.
Granting a defence application for pre-sentence reports to be prepared, Judge Roderick Henderson told Shaw, who served in the police for 24 years: "Before you leave the building you must speak with a probation officer.
"I am granting you bail today - it's no guarantee about the way the judge will decide the case.
"He or she may decide you have to go to prison for this."
A new count against Shaw, relating to a single image of a child, was dropped after the Crown said the alleged offence would not make any material difference to the outcome of the case.
The earlier hearing was told Shaw sent messages to a fake profile being operated by an officer pretending to be aged almost 13, telling her she could "pass for 15" before making numerous comments about sexual acts in online chats.
A lawyer acting for Shaw said the officer had never met with a child he had chatted to online and had "half expected" the profile he had contacted to be an adult posing as a youngster.
Shaw will be sentenced on April 1.
