Policeman Christopher Semak 'had sex with schoolgirl', court hears

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-25320486

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A police officer had sex with a 14-year-old girl after texting her to say he could be jailed if their affair was discovered, a court has heard.

Stafford Crown Court heard Christopher Semak, 33, from Kings Norton in Birmingham, exchanged hundreds of text messages with the schoolgirl.

The jury was told he was arrested after the teenager confided in a teacher.

The married officer denies five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child from April 2010 to November 2011.

Mr Semak was suspended by the West Midlands force in April 2012.

The offences were alleged to have taken place while he was off duty.

'Bad as paedophile'

Prosecutor David Jackson told the court one of the texts Mr Semak had sent the girl allegedly read: "If we did things and it got out I could lose my job. I could even go to prison because you are 14.

"It would make me as bad as the people I am trying to stop. It would make me as bad as a paedophile."

The jury was told numerous "sexually explicit" texts were found on the girl's phone by her parents, who confronted Mr Semak but did not contact the police.

Mr Jackson told the court: "It was obvious to them [the girl's parents] that, in their minds, sexual activity was taking place between the two people exchanging the messages and that sexual activity had already taken place."

The jury heard the alleged victim had told her parents she had been in a mutual relationship with Mr Semak and did not want the police to be contacted.

Child protection officials and the police became involved after the girl spoke to a teacher at her school, the court was told.

Mr Jackson said it was Mr Semak's case that his victim had "invented" her account and then blackmailed him.

He said after the officer was arrested in January 2012 he gave detectives a prepared statement claiming the girl had threatened to "falsely inform" the police that they had had sex.

The jury heard Mr Semak claimed he had "stupidly" responded to her texts because he "feared she would make a false allegation if I did not respond in this way".

The trial continues.