A detective constable of the Greater Manchester Police, Stephen Hardy, has been sentenced to 26 years for raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Hardy was found guilty of 20 offences, including six counts of rape, following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The victim, whose identity was not disclosed, said the abuse had permanently affected her mental health and left her scared for her future. She also noted that she was not sure she would ever be able to fully trust members of law enforcement.

Delivering the judgment, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said during the sentencing that Hardy used his teenage victim as a “puppet or sex object.”

Judge Trevor-Jones said: “You have never shown one iota of remorse for your behaviour. The indictment reflects a highly calculated and cynical course of grooming behaviour.

He described the detective constable as having a “devious personality with a sinister streak.”

“You have been a long-serving police officer. That is a career that will now inevitably end” .

Trevor-Jones lamented that, even though Hardy was aware of the trauma faced by rape victims, it was “aggravating” that he still proceeded with the unlawful act.

Following Hardy’s conviction, the Greater Manchester Police said he was suspended from duty and would face disciplinary proceedings.