Met Police officer who organized to satisfy lady, 13, for intercourse jailed for 5 years

A Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officer has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for arranging to satisfy a 13-year-old lady for intercourse.

Detective Constable Francois Olwage was handed the sentence at Winchester Crown Courtroom on Wednesday after he was discovered responsible of making an attempt to satisfy {the teenager} when he was “on responsibility working from residence”.

Olwage, 52, a father-of-three who was serving with the Met’s specialist operations unit, was convicted of grooming what he believed to be a 13-year-old lady he had met on the Lycos on-line chat discussion board.

However the court docket heard that he was truly chatting with an undercover police officer pretending to be the lady utilizing the username of Smile Bear, earlier than transferring to WhatsApp utilizing the title Caitlin.

The trial heard that after two weeks of express sexual conversations in October 2021, Olwage, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, organized to satisfy the “lady”, who had advised him that she lived in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Peter Shaw, prosecuting, advised the jury that Olwage had been listed as “on responsibility working from residence” on 28 October 2022, the date he travelled by prepare to Basingstoke with the purpose of assembly the “lady”.

Olwage was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Basingstoke by two undercover officers as he was about to purchase a McFlurry ice cream to take to his assembly with “Caitlin”.

When searched, the officers present in his bag two condoms, a bottle of lubricant and a packet of Tadalafil erectile disfunction tablets.

There was additionally a field of Ferrero Rocher goodies which Mr Shaw advised was a gift for the “lady”.

Olwage advised the court docket that he “by no means believed” Smile Bear was a 13-year-old lady and that he thought it was an grownup “enjoying out a fantasy”. He additionally denied any sexual curiosity in youngsters.

Olwage was convicted of tried sexual communication with a toddler, trying to trigger/incite a lady aged 13 to have interaction in sexual exercise, and trying to satisfy a lady beneath the age of 16 following grooming.

He additionally pleaded responsible in the beginning of the trial to an offence of improperly exercising his police powers and privileges with a purpose to obtain the “good thing about sexual gratification”.

Adrienne Knight, defending, mentioned that Olwage, who had served with the Met for 9 years and 7 years for Hertfordshire Constabulary, had submitted a letter expressing his “sorrow for what he had finished”.

Ms Knight mentioned that Olwage was “weak” on the time, having gone by way of a divorce.

Sentencing Olwage, Choose Jane Miller QC advised him: “You had been a extremely regarded police officer with appreciable expertise.

“You had been anticipated to uphold the regulation however by making an attempt to reap the benefits of a weak baby, albeit fictional, you confirmed a disregard for the general public belief and confidence that’s held in your workplace.”

Senior crown Prosecutor Marc Thompson from the CPS mentioned: “Francois Olwage had each intention of grooming and assembly a 13-year-old lady. He denied any sexual curiosity in youngsters, but the proof we introduced was robust sufficient for the jury to make certain he was responsible.

“Olwage‘s messages made it clear he believed he was involved with a toddler. Regardless of this perception, he exchanged messages about sexual acts, and was grooming her. On the day he deliberate to satisfy together with his sufferer, he deserted his police duties to pursue sexual gratification from somebody he believed to be a toddler.

“No precise youngsters had been at risk, nevertheless it has given us a glimpse into what this man is able to doing when he thinks he can depend on the anonymity of the web. That is made all of the extra severe as a result of he has damaged the belief of the general public he has sworn to guard.”