Former Greater Manchester Police cadet leader convicted of sexual assault

A former cadet leader at Greater Manchester Police has been found guilty of misconduct in public office and sexual assault following an investigation into allegations he abused his position for a sexual purpose.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct managed an investigation, carried out by GMP’s Major Incident Team and supported by its Professional Standards Branch, following a mandatory referral from the force in October 2018.

Under our direction, investigators gathered evidence that PC Adnan Ali, 36, used his role as a cadet leader to exploit children and young adults he was responsible for.

Sexualised messages were found on PC Ali’s mobile phone, and a number of those who came forward reported being sexually assaulted by the officer.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court, which concluded today (24 April) heard he sent inappropriate messages, including an image of his penis, to some of the young people he was trusted to look after. Others reported that he inappropriately touched or kissed them.

Ali, who was dismissed following a misconduct hearing arranged by GMP in April 2022, had denied 15 charges of misconduct in public office and five of sexual assault. The jury found him guilty of all charges. He is due to be sentenced on 23 June.

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “Ali’s disgraceful behaviour has had a significant impact on his victims and has absolutely no place in policing. He abused his position to exploit the young people who should have been safe in his care, and his complete refusal to take responsibility for his actions forced them to endure a lengthy and emotionally draining trial.

“His actions completely betray the trust placed in him by cadets and their families, as well as his colleagues who will be just as appalled by what he did. It is thanks to the bravery of all those who came forward that Ali’s offending has come to light and he has now been convicted.

“It is vital that those who experience or witness inappropriate behaviour by the police feel confident to report it and this case should send a clear message that those concerns will be taken seriously by us, by forces and by the courts.

“The investigation also highlighted serious failings in the way cadet schemes were being managed by GMP and we welcome a range of steps taken by the force since these offences were discovered to improve supervision of the officers entrusted with this level of responsibility.”

Ali, who ran the Trafford Volunteer Police Cadets, was appointed as student officer coordinator by GMP in 2016. Our investigation, which concluded in August 2019, found serious issues with the way the force supervised cadet leaders. These included inconsistent training and a lack of safeguarding knowledge.

A significant amount of learning was identified for the force and GMP has since made changes including to the vetting process; training for cadet leaders; banning social media contact between leaders and cadets; and the introduction of formal arrangements for senior leadership to have greater supervision of cadet groups.