May 2023

Ex-teacher from Selby jailed for 22 child sex offences

A teacher who was arrested after a colleague found child abuse images on his laptop has been jailed for a string of offences.

Police found more than 26,000 indecent images of children, including more than 4,000 showing the worst level of abuse, showing the rape and sexual torture of young girls when they seized 33 internet capable devices from 32-year-old Jamie Wheeler.

They also discovered a “paedophile manual” that detailed how to groom and sexual abuse children and how to avoid being caught. 

Wheeler, previously of Riccall near Selby, but now of Kippax, Leeds, pleaded guilty to 22 offences, including possession of the paedophile manual, making indecent images of children, sexual touching, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent images of a child and meeting a child to engage in a sexual act.

Wheeler was jailed for four years and 10 months, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.