A former North Yorkshire police officer "fuelled the devastating industry" of sexual abuse when he downloaded nearly 9,000 indecent pictures of youngsters, the children’s charity NSPCC has said.

Christopher Douglas Groom was a serving officer during the seven-year period of his crime.

Today he was sentenced to an 18-month community order. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and on the sex offenders' register, both for five years.

Groom was suspended from duty on December 16 last year and resigned from the force before his first court appearance on May 18.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a serving police officer, Groom would have been very aware of the profound impact sexual abuse has on children’s lives and by downloading these images he was fuelling a devastating industry.

“We would urge anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, no matter when it took place or who the perpetrator was, to speak out and seek support.”

Groom, of Claxton between Malton and York, pleaded guilty to making 8,707 indecent images of children by downloading them from the internet last month at Leeds Magistrates Court. The images were downloaded between December 3, 2014, and November 14, 2021. The images were all Category C, the lowest category of abuse.

He will have to do 30 days’ rehabilitative activities with Safer Lives and 150 hours’ unpaid work. He also faces a police disciplinary hearing.

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.”

Detective Sergeant Steve Alderson, of the force's online abuse and exploitation team, said: “The fact that Groom was a serving North Yorkshire Police officer made no difference to how we conducted the investigation.

“He was treated the same as any other member of the public who become subject to a criminal inquiry and court proceedings.”

He 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.”

He said: “This case shows the determination of North Yorkshire Police to secure justice against those involved in indecent images of children offences, no matter who they are.”