Former Wakefield police officer avoids jail after pleading guilty to sex offences

A former police officer has avoided jail after pleading guilty to a number of sexual offences.

Lee Parker, who was a police constable for West Yorkshire Police, previously admitted to two counts of sexual assault and one count of outraging public decency.

The 40-year-old was in a bar on a night out in Leeds on 14 December, 2021, when he grabbed and kissed a female member of the public.

On the same night, he slapped the bottom of another woman and exposed himself to several members of the public.

Parker, who was based at Operational Support in Wakefield, resigned from the force while under investigation.

He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a female and one count of outraging public decency and appeared for sentencing at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 14 March.

Parker was sentenced to 32 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and put on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay a £250 fine for each of the victims.

Det Ch Sup Int Nicola Bryar said: "This officer’s actions fell well below what we expect of our employees on and off duty.

"I am pleased that these victims have reported these offences to the police so that they could be investigated. No-one should expect or accept being violated in this way on a night out."

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police added that a misconduct hearing would be held "in due course" to determine whether he would have been dismissed had he not resigned from the force, which "would result in him being added to the Barred List".

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