October 10, 2022 11.58 am This story is over 20 months old

Police worker to be sentenced on child sex offences after reversing denial

He initially denied it, but no longer stood by his story
Police stock image.

A police worker charged with child sex offences could not be sentenced by a judge after he failed to admit his guilt to the Probation Service.

Alex Foster, 42, was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to three sexual offences last month.

However Recorder James House KC delayed sentence on Foster after being told he had given a not guilty explanation about his offending to the Probation Service in his pre-sentence interview.

Leanne Summers, defending Foster, told the court he no longer stood by his explanation to the Probation Service and accepted that he had been trying to communicate with a 15-year-old.

Recorder House told Foster he would adjourn sentence for a further report by the Probation Service to address his change of position.

Foster was remanded back into custody and will now be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on 17 November.

Recorder House warned Foster the fact he was adjourning sentence did not mean a custodial sentence would not follow.

Foster, a support staff member with Northamptonshire Police, has entered guilty pleas to the following charges:

  1. Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child he believed was aged under 16.
  2. Intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence by sending a request for an indecent image.
  3. Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

All the offences occurred between 26 July and 11 August this year.

The court heard Foster had no previous convictions and wanted to enter his guilty pleas at the first available opportunity.

Foster was charged with child sex offences following an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

He appeared before Lincoln Magistrates Court on 11 August where the matter was sent to Lincoln Crown Court.

An investigation was carried out by Northamptonshire Police Counter Corruption Unit under the IOPC’s direction after they received a mandatory confuct referral from the force.

On conclusion of the investigation the matter was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.