British Airways Pilot Jailed for Raping 12-Year-Old After Instagram Grooming

LIVERPOOL, Jun 25: A British Airways pilot has been jailed after travelling hundreds of miles to meet and rape a 12-year-old girl he had groomed online.

Kwame Yeboah, 30, from Reading, began communicating with the child via Instagram in late 2025. Although the girl initially claimed she was 17, prosecutors said it would have been “obvious” to Yeboah that she was significantly younger.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Yeboah, a First Officer with British Airways since 2023, engaged the victim in increasingly sexual conversations, sending explicit images of himself and calling her regularly to build trust. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he manipulated the child into believing she was in a caring relationship.

In February, Yeboah travelled to Wirral, Merseyside, to meet the girl. He drove her to an isolated location where he raped her three times and sexually assaulted her. The victim later told police she felt confused, overwhelmed, and unable to process what was happening.

The abuse came to light after a friend informed the girl’s mother, who reported the incident to Merseyside Police. Investigators were able to identify Yeboah using details he had shared with the victim. During police interviews, he responded “no comment” to all questions.

On 22 April, Yeboah pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a girl under 13 and one count of sexual assault. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and handed a 15-year restraining order.

Thomas Hanlon, senior crown prosecutor, said Yeboah would have quickly realised the victim’s true age, noting that she spoke about school and shared images in a school uniform. “When he met her in person, it would have been obvious that she was a very young child,” he said.

Hanlon added that Yeboah had deliberately groomed the victim, exploiting her vulnerability for his own sexual gratification. “He manipulated her into believing she was in a relationship with someone who cared about her. In reality, he was an adult man who abused his position and exploited her,” he said.

Yeboah, who is also known to have spent over 17 years involved in basketball as a player and referee with Basketball England, has now been removed from his professional role following his conviction.

Authorities have reiterated warnings about online grooming, urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant about children’s interactions on social media platforms.