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Full Breakdown

British Airways Pilot Sentenced for Rape of 12-Year-Old Met on Instagram

6/25/2026, 4:57:47 AM

Case Overview

Kwame Yeboah, a 30-year-old First Officer with British Airways, travelled from Reading to Wirral, Merseyside, in February after meeting a girl on Instagram who claimed to be 17 but was actually 12. He pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault and was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, together with a 15-year restraining order.

Background & Context

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported that Yeboah first contacted the child in late 2025 via Instagram. After the girl misrepresented her age, Yeboah sent her intimate photographs of himself and the conversations became increasingly sexual. He called the girl about twice a week, telling her she was important to him. Yeboah had been employed by British Airways since 2023 and had more than 17 years of experience playing basketball and refereeing for Basketball England.

Key Figures & Groups

  • Kwame Yeboah – British Airways First Officer, 30, defendant. His LinkedIn profile listed him as a First Officer with British Airways.
  • Unnamed victim – 12-year-old girl from Wirral, contacted on Instagram.
  • Crown Prosecution Service – Prosecuting authority.
  • British Airways – Employer of Yeboah.
  • Basketball England – Organization for which Yeboah served as a referee.

Timeline of Events

  • Late 2025 – Yeboah initiates contact with the girl on Instagram, believing she is 17.
  • February 2026 – Yeboah travels from Reading to Wirral to meet the girl in person.
  • Date of trial and sentencing – Not specified in the source; Yeboah pleads guilty and receives his sentence.

Data & Statistics

  • Perpetrator age: 30.
  • Victim age: 12.
  • Travel distance: hundreds of miles (Reading to Wirral).
  • Prison term: 8 years 4 months.
  • Restraining order: 15 years.
  • British Airways employment: since 2023.
  • Basketball involvement: over 17 years.
  • Call frequency: about twice weekly.

Official Statements & Responses

The CPS said it would have been obvious to Yeboah, a UK national and British Airways employee, that the victim was a very young child. The CPS emphasized that the age discrepancy should have been evident to an adult. No comment from British Airways was included in source material.

Conflicting Reports & Gaps

The source does not disclose the precise mileage of Yeboah’s journey, the exact date of sentencing, or any response from British Airways. Details of the court’s sentencing rationale and any victim impact statements are also absent. The victim’s identity remains undisclosed in the reporting.

Verbatim Quotes

  • “obvious” — Crown Prosecution Service
  • “that [the victim] was a very young child” — Crown Prosecution Service

What’s Next

Yeboah will serve his custodial term while the 15-year restraining order remains in force, restricting any future contact with the victim.