A SCHOOL music teacher found in possession of more than 2,000 indecent images of children has been handed a suspended sentence.
Donal Donnelly, 58, a freelance music teacher who worked at a school in north-west Leeds, had photographs of children believed to be as young as six.
Although the downloaded images did not involve children he taught, police said the case was concerning given Donnelly's job could allow him 'unsupervised access to dozens of children'.
At York Crown Court on Tuesday, Donnelly was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Donnelly's offences came to light while he was being investigated for a separate offence, which did not result in prosecution.
The freelance music teacher from Bradford was found to have thousands of photographs on computer devices he owned.
Donnelly, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of downloading a total of 2,000-plus indecent images of children.
Several were classed as category A and B, while the rest were category C, the lower of the three categories.
'Particularly disturbing'
"This was a very concerning case, even more so considering Donnelly's job which could mean regular, unsupervised access to dozens of children," said Detective Constable Nicky Wareham.
"While I would stress that the offences relate to images that were already in circulation, that doesn't in any way detract from the gravity of this offence.
"Indecent images perpetuate child abuse and some of the photographs we encountered during the investigation were particularly disturbing.
"These investigations often take a lot of time, digital forensic analysis and meticulous police work.
"But every time we bring an offender to justice, we also reduce the demand for these images."
Donnelly was also issued with a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work.
He must undergo a rehabilitation course and was also ordered to pay costs of £425.
