A serving British Transport Police (BTP) officer has been charged with a series of grave sexual offences, including two counts of rape, in a case being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
PC Jabul Islam, 37, who is based in London, faces five charges in total. Alongside the two rape allegations, he has been charged with attempted rape, assault by penetration, and causing a female to engage in sexual activity. The specific charge of assault by penetration is a serious sexual offence under English law, while the charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent covers a broad range of coercive sexual acts.
A spokeswoman for British Transport Police confirmed that the alleged incidents took place while PC Islam was off duty. She stated: “PC Islam is currently suspended.” The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police, indicating a process of inter-force scrutiny.
PC Islam is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 24, 2026. This court is a central London venue that frequently handles preliminary hearings for serious criminal cases before they may be sent to a crown court.
A backdrop of misconduct cases
The charges against PC Islam emerge against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny regarding misconduct and criminality within UK police forces, including his own.
In recent years, the British Transport Police has dealt with several misconduct cases. In May 2022, Chief Inspector Paul Crouch was dismissed without notice for creating a “sexualised working environment” and predatory behaviour. More recently, in November 2025, two former BTP officers were dismissed for sharing offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.
Other BTP officers have faced action over use of force. In October 2025, PC Adrian Young was convicted of assault by beating after using a headlock on a 15-year-old girl at Camden Road station and faces a misconduct hearing. Separately, in April 2025, a BTP officer was charged with assault by beating following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the use of force on a teenager.
The historical misconduct of a former BTP officer also casts a long shadow. In 2021, the force apologised to the black community for the actions of former Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, who was convicted in the 1970s of conspiring to steal after framing innocent people. The Criminal Cases Review Commission has since referred numerous wrongful convictions linked to him to the Court of Appeal, all of which have been quashed.
Broader policing context
The issues extend beyond the BTP. An internal review of the Metropolitan Police, led by Baroness Casey of Blackstock, found a “culture of bullying, racism and misogyny.” In a separate case, Met officer PC Sam McGregor was jailed for four and a half years in April 2025 after being convicted of rape.
Cases involving sexual offences by officers in other forces have also come to light. In March 2026, a former special constable with Northamptonshire Police was convicted of 22 sex offences, including taking indecent images of children. That same month, a former Sussex Police officer was dismissed for gross misconduct following sexual assault allegations, despite being acquitted of criminal charges including attempted rape.
Under the Sexual Offences Act, victims of sexual offences have a legal right to lifelong anonymity, making it a criminal offence to publish or share anything that could identify them.
PC Islam remains suspended from duty ahead of his court appearance later this month.
