Student police officer found with indecent images of children two months after joining force
A former student police officer in Yorkshire has admitted possessing indecent images of children.
Zachary Haile admitted three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child at leeds Magistrates Court on Tuesday (Oct 20).
The 27-year-old, who was based in the Leeds district with West Yorkshire Police, will now appear at Leeds Crown Court on November 10 to be sentenced.
He was arrested in July 2022 after an investigation linked him to a social media account which had received an indecent image of a child.
His devices were seized as part of his arrest, and further indecent images were found on a number of mobile phones and evidence of conversations with a child on social media which were of a sexualised nature.
He was suspended from duty when he was arrested, and resigned from the force while under investigation.
He was also subject to a misconduct hearing in January 2025, where he was found for gross misconduct and added to the College of Policing’s Barred List.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Clearly any suggestion that a police officer has been linked to offences involving children is treated with the upmost seriousness. We took immediate action to arrest and suspend Haile.
"He had actually only joined West Yorkshire Police two months before his arrest and was therefore very new in service when he was removed from duty.
“A misconduct hearing was held while Haile was still under investigation for these criminal matters and it was found that he would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. It is clear that he is not fit to wear the uniform.”