Former West Yorkshire Police officer admits child sex offences

Zachary Haile pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs of a child and engaging in sexual communication with a child

A former West Yorkshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to child sex offences.

Zachary Haile, 27, was a West Yorkshire Police officer based in the Leeds District. He was arrested on July 25, 2022, after an investigation linked him to a social media account which received an indecent image of a child.

His devices were seized and further indecent images were recovered off of a number of mobile phones. The police also found evidence of conversations with a child on social media of a sexualised nature.

Haile was a student officer and was suspended from duty at the point he was arrested. He resigned from the police while under investigation, and was subject to a misconduct hearing in January 2025. He was found guilty of gross misconduct and added to the College of Policing's Barred List.

He pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates' Court on October 20 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 November 10.

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."

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