Former police officer jailed for sex with underage girl

 He claimed he honestly believed she was 19 because that was what she told him At the time of the offences Tapper was a senior constable with the East Metropolitan istrict but he was stood down after being charged and later resigned from the police service Tapper met the girl through an online dating website that required participants to be over 18 but the girl lied about her age He arranged to meet and have se with the teenager on two occasions Both times she was wearing her school uniform and he once picked her up at the library that was attached to her school Tapper argued he had an honest and reasonable belief the girl was over the age of the consent and said he asked her about a dozen times and she repeatedly told him she was 19 However istrict Court judge Patrick O Neal said he was not satisfied Tapper did honestly believe the girl was over the legal age You were highly doubtful your state of mind was at best wilful blindness Judge O Neal told Tapper Given your doubts you could have abstained from having se with her or you might have sought out an adult partner Tapper told the court he had asked the girl to show him her driver s licence but Judge O Neal rejected his evidence Apart from repeatedly asking her age you did nothing he said Judge O Neal said he did not believe Tapper was at risk of reoffending but he said the offences were so serious an immediate jail term was required The fact there are two occasions of offending shows a degree of persistence despite your obvious and understandable doubts he told the court Tapper will have to serve one year in prison before he can be released