British Airways pilot raped schoolgirl, 12, after grooming her on Instagram
British Airways pilot, 30, raped schoolgirl, 12, after grooming her on Instagram
Kwame Yeboah, 30, raped the child three times
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Add us as preferred source By Jon King, News Reporter 07:01, Thu, Jun 25, 2026 Updated: 08:16, Thu, Jun 25, 2026 
A former British Airways pilot has been jailed after raping a 12-year-old girl he met and groomed on Instagram. Kwame Yeboah, 30, of Drake Way, Reading, first made contact with the child online late last year. He spent three years working for the airline and two years based at Heathrow Airport in the role of first officer pilot, according to his LinkedIn profile.
But he was arrested and charged with three counts of rape after travelling from Reading to Merseyside to meet the child in February. The paedophile met the girl in the evening, drove her around, then took her to an isolated spot where he raped her three times. Yeboah pleaded guilty to all charges at Liverpool Crown Court on April 22. He was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison on Wednesday (June 24).
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Senior Crown Prosecutor, Thomas Hanlon, from CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: "Kwame Yeboah would have known early on in his contact with this child that she was not the age she initially claimed to be.
"She spoke about school and sent images of herself in school uniform. When he met her in person, it would have been obvious that she was a very young child. Despite this, Yeboah deliberately took her to an isolated location where he raped her three times."
Mr Hanlon said Yeboah groomed the victim into believing she was in a relationship with someone who cared about her. He added: "In reality, he was an adult man who abused his position and exploited her for his own sexual gratification."
After meeting online, the girl initially told Yeboah she was 17. The Crown Prosecution Service said their conversations began "ordinarily".
But the nature of later messages and the way she looked when they met in person would have made it clear to him she was much younger and could not consent to having sex with him, according to the CPS.
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Sick Yeboah sent the girl X-rated pictures of himself and their chats became more sexual. He rang her about twice a week, luring her in by making her think she was important to him and he cared about her.
After raping her three times, he dumped her back where he had picked her up and drove off. The child later told police she struggled to process what was happening and felt nervous and confused.
Yeboah was caught after a friend of the girl told her mum and the police were called. Detectives identified him from the details he had shared with the girl. He answered "no comment" during police interviews.
A BA spokesperson said: "We’ve been sickened to hear of the despicable actions of this individual and we can only imagine the pain he has inflicted.
"All of our thoughts are and will remain with the young person and their family as they try to repair the unthinkable damage and hurt they have suffered."
Before his career crashed to the ground, the former BA pilot boasted about his career on social media. An image posted on Instagram shows him posing outside a BA jet, with the caption: "I love when they say I can't go higher, I'm a frequent flyer!".
In another post in June 2023, Yeboah can be seen smiling in his pilot's uniform as he strides through an airport. He thanks his mother and brother for helping him achieve his dream of being a BA pilot in the caption of that post, adding: "Dreams really do come true with hard work and dedication! Upwards and onwards!".
Posts on LinkedIn show the basketball fan played at county and regional levels, besides acting as a freelance referee for Basketball England.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
