Former teacher in Yorkshire jailed after posing as 16-year-old boy on Snapchat to target girl

Michael Pierce, 32, posed as a 16-year-old boy from Leeds and befriended the victims via Snapchat.

He convinced one of the girls to send him a nude photograph and after she refused to send more images threatened to send the photograph to all of her friends on Snapchat.

He sent the second victim the photograph of the first victim and also asked her to send nude photographs of herself.

Police traced the defendant’s IP address and Pierce was arrested at an address in Wakefield in August 2021.

He was a teacher at the time the offences were committed and at the point of his arrest.

Pierce, of Blackstone Drive, Shireoaks, Worksop, pleaded guilty to offences of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, inciting a child under 13 years to engage in sexual activity and distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday June 27 where he was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

He was also put on the sex offender register for life and given a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to have no unsupervised contact with children

Detective Sergeant Steven Sayles, of Wakefield District Child Vulnerable to Exploitation Team (CVET), said: “This man, who occupied a position of trust, has targeted young girls and used threatening behaviour to try and exploit them into sending indecent images.

“The nature of his crimes was particularly concerning given his role at the time. We have worked with local authority colleagues throughout this investigation to ensure that measures have been put in place to restrict his contact with children. Following his conviction he is now the subject of a life-long sexual harm prevention order.

“These were horrible offences committed against vulnerable young girls. I hope the conclusion of this court case brings some closure on an upsetting and scary time for them.”