Alex Foster

Alex Foster, a 43-year-old former safety training instructor for Northamptonshire Police, has been sentenced to two years in prison for child sex offences. Foster, who had been employed by the force since 2013 and served in the Special Constabulary, pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing at Lincoln Crown Court. The case came to light after Foster engaged in explicit online communications, believing he was interacting with a 15-year-old girl.

The inappropriate dialogue began on 27 July 2022, involving highly sexual conversations and the exchange of images. Unbeknownst to Foster, the individual was an undercover officer posing as a minor. The exchanges escalated, leading to Foster arranging to meet the supposed girl, which culminated in his arrest on 10 August 2022 in the car park of a takeaway in Newark, Nottinghamshire. During the arrest, police seized his mobile phone, which contained evidence of the communications.

On Thursday, 17 November 2022, Foster was formally sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He received concurrent six-month sentences for intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence and for arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. In addition to the two-year custodial sentence, Foster was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register. He resigned from Northamptonshire Police the day before a scheduled gross misconduct hearing in October 2022.

Northamptonshire Police confirmed that Foster will also be added to the College of Policing barred list, barring him from any future employment in the police service. Detective Inspector Kim Jackson from Northamptonshire Police stated, 'This case demonstrates how this force will stop at nothing to root out police officers and staff whose conduct falls below the line or, as in this case, is wholly criminal.' The force emphasised its commitment to maintaining high standards among its personnel.

The incident has raised concerns about the oversight of police staff involved in safety training roles. Sources from the BBC News report highlight the rapid investigation by Northamptonshire Police, which prevented any real harm to a child but exposed Foster's predatory intentions. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online grooming and the vigilance required from law enforcement to police its own ranks.