Officer charged with child sex offences

A police officer who headed a child abuse investigation unit has been charged with six child sex offences.

Detective Inspector Glen Boulton, of West Midlands Police, is accused of offences involving two girls aged under 16, which were allegedly committed when he was aged between 12 and 17.

Det Insp Boulton, 45, from Solihull, appeared at Wolverhampton magistrates' court on 11 May charged with four counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child. He is due to reappear at the same court on 22 June. The alleged offences date back to between 1977 and 1982.

Det Insp Boulton has been a policeman for more than 20 years. He led the community safety bureau in Solihull until 2003. After that he joined Solihull's public protection unit, a specialised department dedicated to tackling sexual and violent crimes. He was promoted to manager of Solihull's child abuse investigation unit, a post he has held for several years.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police confirmed a man had been charged, saying yesterday: "The individual is a police officer with West Midlands Police and has been suspended from his role. Given that criminal proceedings are now live we will not comment further at this stage."