Police investigation launched after paedophile 'secured job at third Leeds nursery' despite arrest
Police are investigating how an arrested paedophile was apparently then able to land a job at another nursery.
Kristian Parry was jailed this week after he falsified references to land a job at one nursery, having been sacked from a previous nursery for his drinking issues.
Following his arrest for that, police found thousands of indecent images of children on his phone.
But West Yorkshire Police say they are now looking into allegations that the 26-year-old was then able to secure a job at a third Leeds nursery after his arrest and before he was sentenced.
In a letter to parents seen by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Freeman explained that a fresh fraud investigation has now been launched.
She apologised to the parents of children at the nursery at which he was fraudulently employed, saying they could have been better informed.
She said: “We have been notified that he was able to gain employment at [named] nursery.
“Prior to this notification, the investigation team had received no information which indicated that he had secured further employment, and this was the first time they were notified of this fact.
“As a result of this information coming to light, I have commenced a further investigation to establish how he was able to gain further employment in a childcare setting, and whether he used fraudulent methods to do so.
“To provide some reassurance, the investigation has uncovered no evidence that Parry committed any offences involving any children within his care.
“I recognise the fact that communication from West Yorkshire Police with parents could have been significantly improved and I apologise for any additional distress this has caused.”
At this time, the YEP is not naming the nurseries where Parry was employed.
During Parry’s sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court this week, prosecutor Robert Galley said that police had been alerted to Parry’s illegal online activities involving images of children in May last year.
They swiftly moved to arrest him after it was found he was working at the second nursery for 10 months.
During the subsequent investigation he was found to have the thousands of images collected on his phone. He even a photo of a baby in a nappy as his screensaver.
It was also found he had been communicating with other perverts online, was accessing the dark web and “clearly” had an interest in children in nappies.
They then found that he had fabricated his references after being sacked from his previous job.
Parry, of Sissons Terrace, Middleton, gave a no-comment interview to police.
Jailing him for two years, Judge Geoffrey Marson KC told Parry: “You were entrusted with the care of very young children.
“Had they known your history, you would not have been employed.
“You had chatted with others who share a similar sexual interest. Only an immediate sentence can be justified.”
Meanwhile, education watchdog Ofsted has confirmed it was not looking into the matter because it was not “not an investigative body” and would only “pass information on to agencies with responsibility for safeguarding where necessary”.