Jonathan Plummer: PCSO jailed over indecent images of children

A police community support officer has been jailed for making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Jonathan Plummer, 35, from Outwood in Wakefield, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to two years in jail.

West Yorkshire Police said his "sickening off-duty activities" had "shocked and appalled" his colleagues.

The neighbourhood PCSO had been suspended from duty as soon as he was arrested, the force said.

Plummer, who worked in Wakefield, was found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of distributing indecent images of children, two counts of possession of extreme pornographic images, and one count of possession of prohibited images.

A jury heard that Plummer had over 2,100 images and 200 videos of child abuse on his personal phone.

He had viewed and shared thousands of indecent images and videos, some the most extreme category, according to West Yorkshire Police.

During his trial, the court was also told that Plummer had worked on the cyber prevention team.

Following his arrest in August 2018, "swift inquiries" confirmed his offending was not connected with his work, West Yorkshire Police said.

In court, Plummer admitted lying to police during interviews about his online alias "Vile Degrader" out of "embarrassment and panic".

Det Con Elkie Gardner said the force had run safeguarding campaigns highlighting the impact of such crimes on victims and said despite Plummer refusing to admit guilt, the evidence ensured he was convicted and jailed.

Det Ch Supt Simon Bottomley, the West Yorkshire force's head of professional standards, said: "The sickening off-duty activities of this PCSO have shocked and appalled his colleagues."

They "completely contradict the values and standards that both the force and, quite rightly, the public would expect of any police employee", he added.

"I hope this conviction demonstrates no-one is above the law and we will take action against anyone involved in this abhorrent offending."

As well as a two-year jail sentence, Plummer was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

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