A former detective who started a relationship with a reported sex offence victim whose case he was working on has been jailed for two years and three months.
Wasim Bashir, 55, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in a public office for having a sexual relationship with the woman while working in the Kirklees safeguarding team with West Yorkshire Police.
Sheffield Crown Court heard the 22-year-old woman started a relationship with Bashir after reporting a sexual assault to police in 2020.
She said Bashir and a female officer had been involved in taking her statement, but he got in touch with her a few days later and asked if she was OK.
The woman, who had mental health issues, said she was grateful for his concern and agreed to meet him for a coffee.
They started a sexual relationship which stopped when she started seeing someone else.
The woman said they stayed in touch until she became aware that he had posted photographs of the two of them on an adult âswingersâ website presenting them as a couple.
She said she contacted Bashir to protest about this, and he apologised and promised to delete it.
Jurors heard the woman decided to report the relationship to police at the end of 2021.
In a victim impact statement read during Fridayâs sentencing hearing, the woman said the man she was âsupposed to trustâ manipulated her and used her for sexual gratification.
The statement read: âI should have been able to trust him due to the position he held within the police.â
In mitigation, Jason Pitter KC said the breakdown of Bashirâs marriage in 2017 had had a profound impact on him.
Bashir, who has since retired from the force, was cleared of another charge of misconduct in a public office alleging he contacted two other women inappropriately.
Jailing Bashir for over two years, judge Charles Thomas said: âYour behaviour towards (the complainant) was a gross breach of trustâŚYou prioritised your own sexual gratification.â
