Former Rotherham detective was arrested after accessing police databases for his own benefit

Sheffield Crown Court heard how PC Ken Dawes was arrested following three allegations being made against him, two of which were from key witnesses in the trial.

He allegedly failed to act upon a complaint of child sexual abuse in the town.

A key witness in the trial made the complaint in October 2015. It was in relation to a period in the early 1990s in which she was a resident of a Rotherham children’s home.

The complainant, when she was 13 or 14, reported sexual abuse to him but he allegedly ‘failed’ to take action.

It was also revealed that PC Dawes had used the police database ‘without legitimate policing purpose’ and searched for defendants Arshid Hussain, Basharat Hussain and a key witness involved in the current trial.

The former detective was arrested in May 2015. He denies all wrongdoing.

The court heard how Dawes, who was based at Main Street police station in Rotherham from 1985 to 2004, admitted wrongdoing at three other separate misconduct hearings from 2000 to 2003.

Prosecutor Peter Hampton, reading out agreed facts between counsel, said: “Dawes was moved from the Rotherham District area to Sheffield and his status as ‘detective’ removed.”

The jury was told that PC Dawes is currently under investigation by South Yorkshire Police and the Independence Police Complaints Commission.

“PC Dawes remains an officer with South Yorkshire Police although he is currently suspended from duty and has passed the retirement age of 60 years,” Mr Hampton added.

The court previously heard that the former detective ‘had sex with girls’ and ‘passed drugs to central defendant, Arshid Hussain.

It was also revealed that PC Hassan Ali is under investigation from the IPCC on allegations of corrupt practice and neglect/failure in duty.

The current investigation found PC Ali had searched police databases for both Arshid and Basharat Hussain.

PC Ali died in a road traffic collision last year.

Mr Hampton also said that PC John Sassery had a complaint lodged against him from a witness in the current trial.

The woman, known as Girl J, had criticised his conduct into an investigation that Arshid Hussain had attacked her and her son in Rotherham town centre in 2001.