West Yorkshire teacher jailed after child sex offences  

A former West Yorkshire teacher has been jailed after admitting to child sex offences involving photographs.

According to reports, the former school teacher got a girl to send him a sexual photograph and then shared the image with another child when she refused to send him further images. 

Michael Pierce, 32, of Blackstone Drive, Shireoaks, Worksop, 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 last week, 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 August 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 he 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.” 

Historic Abuse – how to make a claim 

If you are a survivor of abuse in the past, whether that be sexual abuse or physical assault, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the impact it had on your health. 

A claim can be made for the physical impact on your health but also, and often more importantly, it can also be made for any damage it may have caused to your mental health. 

Compensation can be claimed for personal injury and also any financial losses you may have suffered as a result of your ill health. 

Even if the abuse took place decades ago, you may still be entitled to make a claim. 

Historic abuse – Should I make a claim?

Before deciding on whether making a claim is the best option for you, it’s important to seek some initial legal advice about the merits. Here at Oakwood Solicitors, we offer a free assessment and would be happy to discuss this with you and no charge. 

If you find a Solicitor who is of the view that your claim does have merits, then it is important to also consider the impact on your health that taking a claim forward may have. 

Litigation can be a stressful process and may have an adverse impact on your health. 

We are not doctors, so we cannot give you medical advice, but are under a duty to advise you that pursuing a claim will be a reminder of the trauma of the abuse whilst the claim is ongoing and this may have a negative impact on your mental health. 

Please also note that the only outcome of a successful claim is financial compensation. You may see the litigation as a mechanism for obtaining answers but the majority of cases settle out of Court, which may result in many of your questions remaining unanswered. 

You may be advised by your doctors that revisiting the trauma of the abuse you suffered may set you back in your recovery. The decision to proceed must be your own, in conjunction with your medical advisors. 

If you agree to proceed forward with a claim, then our team will support you as best as they can and try and make the process as stress-free as possible. 

 Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors to make my claim? 

At Oakwood Solicitors, we have a dedicated team focused solely on claims of this nature. We have experience dealing with victims of sexual abuse and understand that this is a stressful time for all involved. 

You will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish, assisting you in the event of any queries or issues you may have. 

If it is preferable to you, we can assign a female advisor to carry out your claim. Your case handler will also continue to provide regular updates until the conclusion of your claim, ensuring the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible. 

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you.