Trainee solicitor and West Yorkshire Police special constable avoids jail after online messages fantasising about abusing children and possessing thousands of indecent images

Jack Mallinson, 26, a trainee solicitor and special police constable with West Yorkshire Police, was identified by National Crime Agency investigators after he used instant messaging app Wickr to send encrypted content.

In posts from October 2020, he described a graphic, fictional scenario of him abusing two young children and discussed his intentions to abuse a baby.

He was arrested on January 7 last year by NCA officers who seized several of his electronic devices and from there they found 2,263 indecent images of children on Mallinson’s mobile phone in categories A-C (A being the most severe) and 14 extreme pornographic bestiality images on his gaming laptop.

Mallinson admitted viewing indecent images of children, which were sent to him online via Tumblr or Mega between March and November 2020, but stopped as he had been offered the trainee solicitors job. He also admitted watching extreme pornography.

Mallinson was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possessing such images, one count of possessing extreme pornographic bestiality images and one count of publishing obscene posts.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on March 2 this year and was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, a two-month Community Order and a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offender register

NCA operations manager Matthew Brooks said: “Jack Mallinson has undoubtedly abused the huge responsibility entrusted in him as a solicitor, and by West Yorkshire Police.

“Although he did not commit physical abuse, the very fact he posted such disgusting messages to complete strangers online indicates he poses a sexual threat to children.

“He also had a significant collection of child abuse material in his possession. Behind every one of these images and videos is a young victim, who is powerless and exploited.

“The NCA will continue to do everything it can to bring offenders like Mallinson to justice and protect those affected by online child sexual abuse.”