A convicted paedophile who worked as a regional journalist has been jailed after posing as a police officer on dating apps.

Bradley Baker has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which was handed to him in 2018 after he committed three sexual offences involving children.

Baker, pictured, worked for BBC Radio WM in the West Midlands before being hired by Reach plc in March 2020 as part of the launch team for Chesterfield Live, a digital brand connected to the Derby Telegraph.

His profile remains live on the Telegraph’s Derbyshire Live sister website and shows his last byline for the title as dating from September 2020.

There is no suggestion that either the BBC or Reach plc would have known about his offending at he time he was working for them.

The 28-year-old’s sentencing last week was covered by a number of regional and national titles, including the Reach plc-owned Daily Mirror.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how Baker posed as a police officer on dating apps, claiming to his ex-partner, family and friends that he worked for the British Transport Police.

He was also using a fake warrant card to travel for free on the railway and bus networks, according to a statement about the case issued by the BTP.

Baker came to the attention of the force after North Wales Police received a report linking him to a separate offence and reported him as a serving BTP special constable based in Birmingham.

It was established that Baker had never worked for the force and he was arrested on 1 February 2021 after two search warrants were executed at his home.

Officers seized numerous items of police uniform including a warrant card badge and holder displaying ‘DC Baker’, two fake BTP warrant cards, multiple police lanyards and an amount of cannabis.

Baker attempted to throw his laptops out of a window as officers arrived, but several unregistered laptops and devices were also found – including one later discovered to be stolen from his previous job as a journalist.

This evidenced a breach of his SHPO which stated that any electrical device in his possession must be registered with police.

Baker, of Kenilworth Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty on 25 March to possession of police articles, two counts of breaching the SHPO, one count of theft by employee and two counts of possession of Class B cannabis.

BTP Police Constable Jade Ledbrook said: “Possessing fake items of police uniform and posing as a police officer is an extremely serious offence, and I’m glad that the severity of Baker’s delusional actions is reflected in his sentence.

“Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are given to protect the public, and Baker’s blatant disregard for this demonstrates his dangerous mindset.

“Had he not been stopped as a result of this extensive investigation, he could have continued to commit even further, and potentially more serious, crimes – therefore I’m pleased to see him behind bars.”

Neither Reach plc nor the BBC have so far responded to HTFP’s requests for comment.