Ex Leeds Lord Mayor Neil Taggart admits indecent images charges
- Published
Neil Taggart was the Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2003. He also served as a West Yorkshire Police Authority chairman and city councillor
A former Lord Mayor of Leeds has admitted making and distributing indecent photographs of children.
Neil Taggart, who also served as a West Yorkshire Police Authority chairman and city councillor, pleaded guilty to eight child sex offences at Leeds Crown Court earlier.
The 65-year-old has been sacked from the Labour Party after he was suspended in October, a party spokesman said.
The crimes took place between 2007 and 2016, according to the Yorkshire Post, external.
Taggart, of Marlowe Court, Garforth, is due to be sentenced on 4 July.
In a statement, Labour said it had suspended him "as soon as the party became aware of the allegations he was facing".
"Following his guilty pleas today, he has been auto-excluded from the Labour Party, as being convicted of a serious criminal offence means he is no longer eligible to be a party member."
Leader of Leeds City Council, Judith Blake, said: "I condemn these despicable crimes in the strongest possible terms."
Taggart served as Lord Mayor in 2003. He was a Labour councillor for more than 30 years before being deselected by the party in October 2013 ahead of the 2014 election.
The charges:
Three counts of making indecent photographs of children
Three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children
Possession of prohibited images of children
Possession of extreme pornographic images