Former West Yorkshire Police officer admits possession of indecent images of a child
The student officer was suspended from duty at the point of his arrest
A former West Yorkshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images and sexual communication with a child.
Zachary Haile, aged 27, who was based at Leeds District, pleaded guilty yesterday at Leeds Magistrates’ Court to three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.
He is due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 10th November for sentencing.
Haile was arrested on 25th July 2022 after enquiries 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.
Haile, who was a student officer, was suspended from duty at the point of his arrest. He resigned from the Force while under investigation and was 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.”