A former teacher has been jailed after admitting a series of offences involving indecent images of children.
Richard Whitaker, 54, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to two years in prison at Leeds Crown Court. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Whitaker admitted taking 40 Category C indecent images, for which he received 16 months of his sentence.
He also admitted making, by downloading, 19 Category A images, the most serious classification, as well as 12 Category B images and 74 Category C images. He further admitted distributing Category C images.
Whitaker had most recently been working at a school in Leeds but left the teaching profession a week before his arrest in July 2024.
Detective Constable Andrew Williamson, of Wakefield Child Safeguarding Team, said most of Whitaker’s offending involved downloading images created by others.
He confirmed Whitaker had admitted taking a number of Category C images involving a child, and that the child’s family had been made aware of the investigation.
Police have urged anyone with information about any further potential offences to come forward.