Former West Yorkshire Police officer jailed for child sex offences

David Crossley, 60, worked as a police officer in Leeds

A former West Yorkshire Police officer has been jailed for 10 years for sex offences against two child victims.

David Crossley, 60, started working as a PC in Leeds in 1997 and his crimes were reported to police in 2020.

The offences were committed between 1995 and 2014 and none occurred while he was on duty, the force said.

At Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, Crossley was found guilty of indecent assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was also convicted of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He was suspended from duty as soon as the offences were reported and an investigation was launched, West Yorkshire Police said.

He then retired from the force.

Crossley was jailed for 10 years at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday

Det Ch Supt Nicola Bryar, of West Yorkshire Police's professional standards directorate, said: "These were absolutely awful offences committed against child victims.

"I understand that members of the public will be horrified that these offences could be committed by a police officer and all I can say is that I and other colleagues feel exactly the same way."

She said she could "only imagine the increased concern" the victims had when reporting offences against a police officer and added that she hoped "the action we have taken shows that we will investigate offences involving police officers and that we will take swift action to remove them from duty".