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PCSO who raped girl is jailed for 10 years
News from The Peterborough Evening Telegraph, www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk
A POLICE community support officer has been jailed for 10 years for the rape of an underage girl with whom he had a seven-month affair.
Michael Yardley (35), who was employed by Lincolnshire Police as part of a neighbourhood policing team, had a secret affair with the youngster before coming under suspicion from his wife.
After the pair split up, his wife reported her suspicions with his employers, sparking an investigation that resulted in both Yardley and the girl admitting they had sex with each other on several occasions.
Andrew Scott, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court yesterday that Yardley’s wife had been so upset by what she had discovered that she had suffered a panic attack.
Upon being questioned by police, the youngster said the pair had agreed that they would set up home together when she was 18.
The court heard Yardley, of Haconby Lane, Morton, near Bourne, had texts from the youngster on his mobile phone.
At court, he pleaded guilty to raping the girl on October 27, 2010.
He also pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a young girl between November 2010 and April 2011.
He was jailed for 10 years and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
He quit his role as a PCSO in the Sleaford policing team after the offences came to light.
Recorder John Philpotts said: “This has devastated the victim’s family. The long-term emotional and psychological effects on the victim can only be guessed.”
Alison Summers, defending, said Yardley developed a friendship with the girl after becoming unhappy in his marriage.
“He realised he shouldn’t have married. He felt his life was out of control. It was against that background of personal crisis that it would appear that his judgement was lost.
“I can only relate his remorse and his shame.”
Afterwards Detective Inspector Guy Leach said: “Yardley is a very dangerous person to young girls.
“As a consequence of his conduct, the childhood and adolescence of this young girl has been stolen.
“The sentence passed by the court reflects the severity of his conduct and the abuse of trust.
“As and when he is released from custody he will be on the registered sex offenders list for life and will be managed by the Dangerous Persons Management Unit to ensure that he is never able to again put himself in a position where he can manipulate and abuse the trust of others.”
A Lincolnshire police spokeswoman said Yadley had been suspended from his role upon his arrest in August 2011. His employment ceased shortly after.
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