"That's the truth. That's what he did to me": A monster hiding in plain sight

When Dean Dempster woke early on the morning of his penultimate shift as a respected police 'response officer' based in Oldham, he picked up his iPhone Pro 13 and searched the internet.

He had breakfast at his home in West Didsbury, south Manchester, and then casually looked up 'girls in diapers and pull ups', 'girls in nice underwear' and 'little girls on the beach and pool'. It was still 7am.

Eventually, the sheer scale and horror of his secret depravity would be exposed, but, tragically, not before he carried out a horrific sex attack on small child, a girl under the age of ten after he started his shift.

During a 999 call to a troubled home in Oldham that day - where screaming and shouting had been heard - he took his vulnerable victim, who it was suspected had been assaulted, into a bedroom ostensibly to speak to her. Out of view of any other cops, he pulled down her pyjamas and sexually assaulted her.

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The youngster was, initially disbelieved when she told her aunt who reminded her about the importance of telling the truth. But she insisted: "That's the truth. That's what he did to me."

She then demonstrated precisely what had just happened to her.

The crimes of Dempster, 35, would, eventually, unravel but they have devastated the girls' family who sobbed uncontrollably in court on Wednesday (November 13) where he was handed a lengthy jail sentence after admitting sexual assault and possession of horrific child porn on that iPhone and other devices.

The girl cannot be identified and is entitled to lifelong anonymity as a victim of a sex crime.

Police have confirmed the investigation into Dempster - who worked as a paramedic for North West Ambulance Service and a special constable before joining Greater Manchester Police three years ago - is continuing.

Colleagues on the Oldham division of GMP are also victims of his crimes, thanks to a betrayal that has made a difficult job that much harder. One patrol car has been attacked and officers have to endure shouts of 'paedophile' while on patrol.

Dempster, unmarried and childless despite having a partner, liked to work alone, as a 'single crewed' response officer working on the Oldham division.

Colleagues told the subsequent investigation into his conduct PC Dempster 'seemed quiet' when they were called to that home in Oldham last year and appeared reluctant to take a statement from one person at the scene. They also said he wasn't keen that the mother should be arrested. The reasons would become apparent.

Out of sight of his colleagues, the officer took the child to a bedroom, switched off his body-camera and molested the youngster, Liverpool Crown Court was told. Analysis of his personal phone later established he had used it to take pictures and video at the same time.

When all police left the home, the girl revealed she had been attacked, and demonstrated exactly how.

"That's what the policeman did to me," she said. "That's the truth - that's what he did to me," the girl later told her aunt, after she'd been reminded about telling the truth.

By the following morning, shortly after PC Dempster had paraded on for the start of a new shift, he learned that there had been a complaint about him and he started to 'systematically' delete photos and apps from his phone, the court was told. He deleted an app called 'Secret photos KYMS' on which media can be encrypted and stored securely as well as Grindr, 'Text me - Second Phone Number' and 'Betzone'.

When he made an 'unsolicited' comment that the girl had pulled her pants down when he had asked her to take her top off to check for bruising, his inspector became suspicious and Dempster was arrested.

At a raid at his home in West Didsbury, the officer's partner was 'visibly upset' when a series of shocking discoveries were made, including Peppa Pig knickers from a safe in the wardrobe. In the safe was another iPhone, a Sony phone, a bundle of four pairs of folded children's knickers, underwear that appeared to have been cut up buy scissors inside a bag, two hard drives, two penis shaped sex toys, a pack of condoms and lubricant. The underwear had been worn, the court was told.

His DNA was found on two pairs of knickers - one of which was stained with semen - and one of the pieces of cut-up fabric, the court was told.

On his devices were found almost 3,000 child abuse images, including 104 of the most serious 'category A' pictures. Among them were 141 'pseudo images' which Dempster manipulated to make it look as though he was having sex with children. All the images showed the defendant had 'an unhealthy sexual interest in children for at least two years prior to his arrest', prosecutor Vanessa Thomson told Liverpool Crown Court.

His victim from the home in Oldham was video interviewed and she said the officer had 'properly' pulled her pants down and looked at 'it'. She said he used the torch on his phone to look and that he remained silent before saying: "You can pull your pants up. I'm done."

When he was interviewed, Dempster claimed he 'accidentally' made contact with the girl's genitals and insisted the Peppa Pig knickers were from a prank during his time as a paramedic.

Dempster's sentencing hearing also heard that the investigation uncovered a sexual foot fetish 'particularly involving the feet of children'. Screenshots from one of his devices revealed sexual conversations about children's feet and a 'sexual interest in the feet of children'.

Some 11 of the pictures found on his devices were from his police body-cam footage taken while he was undertaking enquiring into a missing girl in 2022. His pictures were of the bare feet of women and a child under ten in pyjamas in a living room. He took them 'for his own sexual purposes', the court was told.

However, detectives suspect they have not yet established the full depth of Dempster's depravity. Following official requests, he has so far handed over three incorrect passwords to his iCloud, which has still not been accessed.

The mother of the child whose feet Dempster kept pictures of told the court, in a victim statement, she had not told her daughter yet as she was 'so young'. She said she feared Dempster would return to her home and experienced 'intense feelings of fear' at the hands of 'someone in a position of trust'.

"It's very scary to think a police officer did this to a child without my knowledge," she said, adding: "It's already a scary world we live in but to find out a police officer has done this makes you question everything. Who can you trust?"

She said she hoped 'this monster will get the justice he deserves'.

A statement from Oldham Council's social services department was read out, saying the 'extremely vulnerable' victim of the sexual assault was now 'confused about the role of the police' and suffered 'feelings of shame and guilt'. She was 'worried about sharing information' and 'no longer feels safe'. She requires 'therapeutic intervention' and her experience was likely to have an 'impact' on the rest of her childhood.

Supt Phil Hutchinson, who was temporary divisional commander of GMP's Oldham division at the time of the sex assault, said the incident led to 'tension' in the area of the town where the incident happened.

One patrol car had been attacked and some parents were reluctant to allow their children to speak to officers, he said. Officers had to endure shouts of 'paedophile' while on patrol, he said. He described Dempster's crimes as 'abhorrent' and he said colleagues felt 'let down and betrayed'. He described an 'overwhelming feeling of guilt' that Dempster's crimes were spotted earlier and prevented.

Jailing Dempster, Judge Stuart Driver KC described shocking details of the sex assault and told him: "The public places its trust in police officers. Your crimes betrayed the public, your colleagues and worst of all a vulnerable young child whom you were pretending to protect."

He noted the defendant had been 'prepared to take risks to exploit vulnerable children for your sexual pleasure' and harboured a 'long-standing and continuing sexual attraction to children, concluding Dempster was a 'dangerous offender' who required an extended sentence 'to protect members of the public'.

He handed Dempster an extended sentence 'for the public protection' of 14 years. It includes a 'custodial' element of nine years which allows him to apply for release to the Parole Board after six years.

Dempster admitted sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of misconduct in a public office and six counts of making indecent images of children. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the sex offenders' register for life.

The court also heard the investigation into Dempster was 'ongoing' with one line of inquiry the continuing efforts to access data on his 'iCloud'. Enquiries are also continuing into DNA from a 'third party' found on the underwear hidden in his safe.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods told the Manchester Evening News: "We have reviewed thousands of Dempster’s previous deployments while at the force and did not find any further evidence of criminal behaviour, however, I am determined that we go to the world’s end to investigate every single available avenue in respect of Dempster.

"Our investigation team are pursuing live enquiries regarding some of his accounts on devices, as well as clothing recovered. It’s crucial we carry out this work with the CPS to identify any further offending and hold Dempster accountable for the totality of his crimes. Anyone who is affected by this case is encouraged to contact police and they will be listened to."

Speaking after the sentencing, A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Dean Dempster was employed by NWAS as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for just under two years and resigned in September 2020. None of the offences related to a period when he was an employee, and we are confident that there were no concerns around the safety and care of our patients during that time. We are appalled by the offences he has committed and our thoughts are with his victims."