COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Branded "every parents' worst nightmare"



A Coventry ambulance service gold commander groomed a 12-year-old girl and then travelled over 100 miles to rape her.

Adrian Crowe was branded "every parents' worst nightmare" after he attacked the schoolgirl in a field after travelling from his home in Coventry to Meols, in Wirral, Merseyside.

Detectives found Crowe's DNA on the girl and tracked him to a Pizza Hut in Coventry where he said: “Is this about the girl? She told me she was 20.”

Police experts later found he had been using a dating chat service called Anti-chat to speak to a number of other underage girls – asking one girl if she was ‘jailbait’.

Crowe, 40, of Kirkdale Avenue, Holbrooks, pleaded guilty at his first court appearance in relation to the rape of a female under 13 and grooming.

He was sentenced on Thursday to eight years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court, plus an additional year on an extended licence. Crowe was also issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which restricts his internet use.

Ben Jones, defending, said his client had “never shown any sign of” interest in under-age girls before had been described by his partner, who is standing by him, as reacting badly to coming off a high-dose of anti-depressants.

Jailing Crowe, who is also an Army veteran, Judge Alan Conrad QC told the pervert: “This case represents what must be every parents’ worst nightmare.

“Their child, their innocent child, going on the internet and meeting somebody like you, who I categorise in the circumstances of this case as a sexual predator."

Ambulance bosses react to paedophile ex-worker's eight-year rape sentence

Ambulance chiefs say they “fully support” the jail sentence handed to a former manager who groomed and raped a 12-year-old girl.

They commended the bravery of the victim in the “horrific” case and say that Crowe, of Kirkdale Avenue, Holbrooks, resigned shortly after his arrest.

The service also state that Crowe never held the position of Gold Commander during his time with WMAS, despite his barrister stating so during the court case.

A spokesman for WMAS said: “West Midlands Ambulance Service fully supports the tough sentence handed down by the court in the case of Adrian Crowe.

“The horrific nature of the case demanded nothing less and our thoughts are with the victim and her family.

“The bravery shown by the victim to gain this conviction cannot be underestimated.

“Mr Crowe was suspended on June 9, 2016, following an arrest made by police on that day. The Trust has co-operated fully with the police investigation.

“He subsequently resigned from his position as emergency preparedness manager, a non-clinical role, while still suspended on October 14, 2016. The resignation was accepted with immediate effect.

“Mr Crowe never held the position of Gold Commander during his time of employment at West Midlands Ambulance Service.

“The Trust always expects the highest level of care and professionalism from its staff and is extremely disappointed that that was not the case on this occasion.”