Hertfordshire Police officer James Ford found guilty of raping a girl under the age of 13
A "predatory" police officer who raped a child - before wiping his phone to hide evidence - has been told he faces a lengthy prison sentence.
James Ford, 31, was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse against the same girl, including four counts of rape, and four of sexual assault.
The offences - against a child under the age of 13 - took place throughout his two-year career with Hertfordshire Police and came to light after the victim revealed what had happened to her father.
It took less than a day for jurors to find the Hertfordshire Police officer guilty following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
They also found he had intended to pervert the course of justice after restoring his mobile phone to its factory settings in order to wipe its memory and storage.
Former response officer Ford had denied all the offences, which took place between 1 December 2019 - the same month he joined the force - and 17 October 2021 and involved a girl under the age of 13.
He was suspended from duties in November last year and an investigation was launched by neighbouring force Cambridgeshire Police.
Following the verdict, police described their former officer as a "predatory sex offender".
Det Insp Susie Hine, who leads Cambridgeshire Police's child abuse investigation unit, said: "Cases of this nature are both disgusting and upsetting and I want to reassure the public there is no place for an offender to hide no matter who they are."
Hertfordshire's Assistant Chief Constable, Genna Telfer, added: "I am disgusted by his actions and he will face a fast-track hearing for dismissal."
As the judge Mr Justice Simon Bryan released the jurors, he told them the defendant was "obviously going to have a lengthy custodial sentence".
Ford, formerly of Bishop's Stortford, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Friday.
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