A police officer has been jailed for 26 years for raping and sexually assaulting a baby.

DC Stephen Hardy of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) used his teenage sufferer as a "puppet or sex object", Judge Robert Trevor-Jones mentioned throughout his sentencing on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old was discovered responsible of 20 offences, together with six of rape, following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Judge Trevor-Jones mentioned: "You have never shown one iota of remorse for your behaviour.

"The indictment displays a extremely calculated and cynical course of grooming behaviour."

He described the detective constable as having a "devious" personality with a "sinister streak".

He added: "You have been a long-serving police officer. That is a profession which is able to now inevitably finish.

"You would have been well aware of the widespread and lasting trauma that victims of sexual abuse suffer and yet you gave no thought to that and that is an aggravating factor."

The choose mentioned he thought-about the defendant to be harmful and sentenced him to an prolonged licence interval of six years.

Vanessa Thomson, prosecuting, mentioned the sufferer, who was in courtroom with members of her household throughout the listening to, reported the abuse to police in 2020.

She described the defendant as "a controlling and manipulative man".

In a press release which was learn to the courtroom, the sufferer mentioned she was undecided she would ever be capable of absolutely belief members of regulation enforcement.

She mentioned: "I maintain a deep fear of authority figures, despite overcoming that fear to report these crimes. His position in the Greater Manchester Police force has deeply affected me."

She mentioned the abuse had completely affected her psychological well being and left her scared for her future.

Laura Nash, defending, mentioned Hardy continued to disclaim all of the offences and that he would "inevitably" discover his jail sentence "harder than most" as a result of he was a police officer.

A lady mentioned "love you" as Hardy, sporting a gray go well with, was taken down from the dock.

Following Hardy's conviction in July, GMP mentioned he was suspended from responsibility and would face disciplinary proceedings.

Head of the drive's Professional Standards Branch Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen mentioned: "Given Hardy contested the indictment he faced at the crown court, we were unable to proceed with hearing such matters within the regulated police disciplinary system. He was nevertheless suspended from GMP.

"Now that Hardy has been convicted, he'll face disciplinary proceedings, and because the public would rightly anticipate, he is not going to be paid a wage by GMP throughout the time it takes for his case to be heard."