Michael Pierce 32

Description

A former West Yorkshire teacher has been jailed for six years after admitting getting a girl to send him a sexual photograph and then sharing the image with another child when she refused to send him further images.

Michael Pierce, 32, pleaded guilty to offences of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, inciting a child under 13 years to engage in sexual activity and distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, June 27) where he was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

He was also put on the sex offender register for life and given a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to have no unsupervised contact with children Pierce posed as a 16-year-old boy from Leeds and befriended the victims via Snapchat.

He convinced one of the girls to send him a nude photograph and after she refused to send more images threatened to send the photograph to all of her friends on Snapchat.

He sent the second victim the photograph of the first victim and also asked her to send nude photographs of herself.

Police traced the defendant’s IP address and Pierce was arrested at an address in Wakefield in 2021. He was a teacher at the time the offences were committed and at the point of his arrest.

Detective Sergeant Steven Sayles, of Wakefield District Child Vulnerable to Exploitation Team (CVET), said: “This man, who occupied a position of trust, has targeted young girls and used threatening behaviour to try and exploit them into sending indecent images.

“The nature of his crimes was particularly concerning given his role at the time.

We have worked with local authority colleagues throughout this investigation to ensure that measures have been put in place to restrict his contact with children.

Following his conviction Pierce, of Blackstone Drive, Shireoaks, Worksop, is now the subject of a life-long sexual harm prevention order.

“These were horrible offences committed against vulnerable young girls. I hope the conclusion of this court case brings some closure on an upsetting and scary time for them.”

If someone is threatening to share sexual pictures, videos or information about you, there is help available.

To find out more visit Sextortion | West Yorkshire Police