How UK police officer used fake identity to exploit Jackie Adedeji

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after using a fake identity to groom and manipulate a young TV presenter into a sexual relationship.

The victim, Jackie Adedeji, now 31, told a misconduct panel how the officer, identified as Ian Steel, deceived her for over two years while posing as a different person.

Steel, who was 38 at the time, met Adedeji in June 2016 in Shoreditch while on duty as a plain-clothes officer. According to the panel, he introduced himself as “Danny Stevens,” claiming to be an undercover officer with no family.

Their relationship, which began when Adedeji was 22, continued intermittently until 2021. The panel heard that Steel met her multiple times while on duty and maintained the false identity throughout.

Adedeji said Steel used her “to fulfil his racialised sexual fantasy,” a claim that formed a key part of the misconduct findings.

After reviewing the evidence, the panel ruled that all allegations against Steel were proven and described his actions as gross misconduct. Although he had already resigned, the panel confirmed he would have been dismissed if still serving. He has now been placed on the police barred list, effectively ending his career in law enforcement.

Speaking after the ruling, Adedeji expressed relief and closure.

“For the first time in 10 years, I feel free,” she said.

“The shame has disappeared, the silence has disappeared. I found my voice all over again.”

“I’ve stood up for the 22-year-old version of me that felt voiceless.”

Adedeji, who waived her right to anonymity, reported the case to the police watchdog in November 2023, describing the process as “the biggest fight of my life.”

Reflecting on the outcome, she added: “It feels powerful because it’s a classic case of he said, she said, and my story never changed.

“It doesn’t benefit me to lie and the truth always prevails in the end.”

She also encouraged others facing similar experiences to speak out.

“It is never too late to stand up for yourself when you feel you’ve been violated.

“You don’t deserve to live in silence. You can only heal from what you reveal.”

Reacting to the findings, Ch Supt Sanjay Andersen of the City of London Police acknowledged the victim’s courage.

“The findings of gross misconduct reflect behaviour that falls far below the standards the public rightly expect from police officers,” he said.