Birmingham: Ex-police officer faces charges of child rape, buggery and sexual assault of 27 boys

Former Birmingham police officer Allan Richards has appeared at Birmingham Crown Court charged with 54 sexual offences including the rape, buggery and indecent assault of 27 boys over more than three decades.

Richards, of Thaxted Road, Tile Cross, who was a police constable between 1980 and 2011, was charged earlier this year with eight offences of indecent assault, one count of rape, one count of buggery, five counts of committing an act of gross indecency, four counts of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency on a boy under 16, three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a boy between 13 and 15 and three counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy between 13 and 15.

He appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court in November to face additional charges of two counts of misconduct in a public office, one count of rape, nine counts of indecent assault and one count of voyeurism involving six boys under the age of 16.

His appearance on Wednesday (3 December) heard a further 24 charges relating to sexual activity with a child, rape, misconduct in a public office, indecent assault and to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. In total he faces 54 charges that relate to allegations dating between 1976 and 2013 of offences against 27 boys between the ages of 11 and 18.

The charges of misconduct in a public office relate to alleged misuse of police powers to sexually exploit boys while Richards was a serving police officer. A trial is set for April 2016. The matter was referred by West Midlands Police to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and there is an ongoing independent investigation.