Former West Yorkshire Police officer admits child sex offences

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 21:32 · Archive

A former West Yorkshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of a child and sexual communication with a child.

Zachary Haile, 27, a former West Yorkshire Police officer based in Leeds, pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 20 October to three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. He will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 10 November.

Haile was arrested on 25 July 2022 after officers linked him to a social media account that had received an indecent image of a child. Police seized several mobile phones and found more indecent images, along with sexually explicit conversations with a child. He had joined West Yorkshire Police only two months before his arrest and was suspended immediately following his arrest. He resigned from the police while under investigation.

In January 2025, a misconduct hearing found Haile guilty of gross misconduct and determined he would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. He was added to the College of Policing's Barred List. Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Directorate, said the force took 'immediate action' and that 'it is clear that he is not fit to wear the uniform'. The alleged offences took place while Haile was off duty in 2022.

How it is being reported

• Former West Yorkshire Police officer admits child sex offencesZachary Haile pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs of a child and engaging in sexual communication with a childLeedsLive · 21 Oct, 20:52
• Former West Yorkshire police officer pleads guilty to child sex offencesA former police officer has admitted child sex offences.Telegraph & Argus · 21 Oct, 17:30

In this story: Zachary Haile · West Yorkshire Police · Leeds · College of Policing · Leeds Magistrates' Court · Leeds Crown Court

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem