Allan Richards child sex abuse trial: Pc carried out 'fake rape investigations'
A police officer carried out fake rape investigations and made young boys perform sex acts in front of him as part of his pretend inquiries, a jury was told.
Allan Richards, who is on trial accused of sexually abusing eight boys while serving with West Midlands Police, has already been convicted of sex offences and misconduct in public office relating to 11 other boys between 1976 and 2008, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Giving evidence, Dc Lisa Weaver told the jury yesterday that Richards had been convicted of the offences at a previous trial earlier this year, including 11 counts of indecent assault, seven counts of sexual activity with a child, and five counts of misconduct in public office.
Asked by prosecution counsel Miss Miranda Moore QC about the misconduct charges, Dc Weaver said that Richards pretended to carry out an investigation and asked the victim to provide a sample of semen.
He used that tactic on more than one occasion, she told the court.
In another incident, Richards asked a boy to perform a sex act to exonerate him from inquiries into a fake sexual offence investigation, she told the court.
The jury was also told Richards had also used the force's central computer to carry out more than 150 checks on the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, years after the offences.
Richards, aged 54, denies 12 counts of indecent assault against eight boys aged 11 to 15 over 21 years from 1982 to 2003. The defendant, formerly of Thaxted Road, Tile Cross, Birmingham, was a Scoutmaster until 2004.
During searches of his home police found diaries where it is alleged Richards recorded 'touching' boys. They also found a hard drive that contained a list of male names it is alleged he had a 'sexual interest' in.
The jury was told that on two occasions the defendant was questioned by police over similar allegations in 2000 and 2004.
He was previously told he would not be charged by police in January 2005, the court heard. A fresh investigation started in 2014 after a new complainant came forward.
Miss Moore yesterday showed photographs to the jury of boys – believed to be at a Scout camp – that were recovered from Richards' home during a search.
Witnesses identified one of the boys in the photographs as someone who was named on the list of male names also recovered from Richards' address.
The trial continues.
