Police officer charged with rape of girl under 13

The officer is accused of committing the offences before he joined the force

A West Yorkshire Police officer has been charged with raping a child.

PC Marcus Newbold is accused of sexually assaulting a girl aged under 13 between 2007 and 2011.

The 29-year-old officer, who joined the force in 2021, is facing a number of charges, including rape and four counts of assault by touching.

PC Newbold, who was based in the Kirklees area, has been suspended from duty since September 2022, according to a police spokesperson. He is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The offences were reported the same month he was suspended.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.