The former North Yorkshire officer was sentenced at Leeds Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Christopher Douglas Groom, 41, was a former response officer with North Yorkshire Police based in Hambleton and Richmond. 

He admitted to making 8,707 Category C indecent photographs of children between December 3 2014 and November 14 2021. 

The case was referred to the IOPC at the outset who said a local investigation should be conducted by the force. 

He had resigned from the force ahead of his initial court appearance on May 18. He had been suspended from duty since his arrest on December 16 2021. 

He has now been sentenced to 150 hours unpaid work, 30 rehabilitation days with Safer Lives and will be placed on the Register of Sex Offenders for five years and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

An Accelerated Misconduct Hearing will now be considered. 

Detective Sergeant Steve Alderson, of the Online Abuse and Exploitation Team, said: “From our investigation, including an extensive digital forensic examination of devices used exclusively by the defendant, we were able to establish beyond any doubt that Christopher Douglas Groom had actively sought out and viewed a significant number of child sexual abuse images.

“We were able to recover 8,707 Category C indecent photographs of children which were made between December 2014 and November 2021.

“There were no other offences identified during the investigation and all safeguarding efforts have been made to mitigate potential risks to young people.”

Deputy Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said: “North Yorkshire Police demands the highest level of integrity from our officers and staff.

“This is essential to ensure the communities we are proud to serve have complete trust in their police service.

“The abhorrent and criminal actions of Groom have betrayed that public trust and he has betrayed North Yorkshire Police.”