Paul Harold

A man from Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, has been sentenced following his conviction for historical sexual offences committed against a teenage girl. Paul Harold, aged 47, received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 28 April 2025. He was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16, with the offences occurring in May 1997.

The case came to light in 2020 when the victim, now a woman, reported the indecent assault to Staffordshire Police. At the time of the incident, Harold was employed as a police officer, having joined the force in October 1996. On 24 May 1997, Harold arrested the then 15-year-old girl on suspicion of theft from a shop in Newcastle-under-Lyme. While she was in custody, he wrote his personal phone number on the back of her hand and later contacted her home. The pair met up, and Harold took her out in his car on at least one occasion, eventually bringing her to his home where the indecent assaults took place.

Harold was interviewed by police in June 2020 regarding the allegations but denied any wrongdoing. Staffordshire Police conducted a thorough investigation, which corroborated the victim's account. Harold resigned from his position as a police officer just nine months after joining, in June 1997, shortly after the assaults. Had he remained in the force, he would have faced dismissal and been barred from future employment in policing or related roles.

Deputy Chief Constable Becky Riggs of Staffordshire Police commented on the case, stating: "Police officers who abuse their position of trust for sexual purposes have no place in policing. They are entrusted with upholding the law and protecting the public. Abusing their position, particularly for sexual purposes or to exploit vulnerable individuals, is a serious betrayal of that trust and damages the public’s faith in the police." She expressed gratitude to the victim for coming forward and emphasised that the sentencing serves as a clear message encouraging other victims of sexual abuse to report incidents, regardless of when they occurred.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Harold has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. The court proceedings highlight the ongoing commitment of Staffordshire Police to addressing historical sexual offences and holding former officers accountable for abusing their authority.