TWO former police officers appeared in court yesterday (Wednesday, May 7) charged with the alleged rape and indecent assault of an under age girl, writes SWNS reporter Charlie Fenton.

Former sergeant William Baker, 78, and former officer Ian Hopkinson, 63, are alleged to have committed the crimes between 1992 and 1995 while serving in West Yorkshire Police's mounted horse section in Pontefract.

Mr Baker, of Hayle, has been charged with three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years and two counts of rape of a female under 16 years.

The court heard Mr Baker had been in the forces for 27 years.

Mr Hopkinson, of Redcar, North Yorkshire, has been charged with five counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years.

He has also been charged with five counts of rape of a female under 16 years.

At Leeds Magistrates Court yesterday, district judge Kitson remanded both men to appear before the city's crown court.

The men were charged after a woman came forward in 2023 and reported being the alleged victim of serious sexual offences.

Following the report an investigation was launched and both men were arrested in June 2024.

A 74-year-old man, who was also a West Yorkshire Police officer at the time of the reported offences, was also arrested in June 2024 as part of this investigation.

He has since died and there was no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Both men were released on conditional bail.

They were told to have no contact with the alleged victim and no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 18.

Baker and Hopkinson were also prohibited from contacting each other.

Mr Hopkinson and Mr Baker will both appear at Leeds Crown Court on June 4.