A married police officer who had sex with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for six years. Christopher Semak sent the girl text messages saying he would be as 'bad as a pedophile' if he were caught.
The officer, based in south Birmingham, exchanged hundreds of text messages with the schoolgirl, including one in which he said the relationship could see him jailed.
Prosecutor David Jackson told Stafford Crown Court the 33-year-old officer was arrested after the teenager confided in a teacher.
Among the texts sent by Semak was one which 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 court heard that 18 encounters between the pair took place in Semak's car while his young child was in the front seat.
Afterwards the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, would write in her diary about their sexual exploits.
The girl's parents discovered what was going on after they found more than 200 messages from Semak on her phone.
They then asked their daughter about the messages, and she admitted having a relationship with the officer.
Two days later, the victim's parents are said to have confronted Semak who simply said: "I have been stupid."
The court heard about exchanges between the pair.
On one occasion, Semak said to the girl: "Can you not tell anyone I've been texting you because it does look a bit weird, a 30-year-old that's texting a 14-year-old."
Another follow-up text message read to the court added: "Of course I want to, but if we did things and it got out I'd lose my job, my family and go to prison because you're only 14. I think we should leave it till you're old enough."
He later added in another text: "I can't do this with you being so young, it would make me as bad as a paedophile."
Judge Mark Eades told him: "You knew from your position [as a police officer] you shouldn't do it, you even made reference in your texts about being viewed as a paedophile, as a child molester - it's true isn't it?
"You saw her as ripe for the plucking. She was impressionable, going through puberty and all the anxieties that brings. You found her attractive and your lust overtook what you knew to be right.
"We have that graphic series of text messages that made it clear you were having sex at every opportunity you could. What's even more disturbing is you were quite happy to have your son with you."
With criminal proceedings now completed, the case will go before a special police disciplinary panel where senior officers will determine his future with the force in line with national guidelines.