Paedophile sentenced for nursery job email fraud

A former nursery worker jailed for possessing indecent images of children has been sentenced for faking references to get another job in childcare.

Kristian Parry, 27, was jailed in March for possessing more than 5,000 images while working at a nursery in Leeds.

Following his conviction it emerged he had applied for a job at another nursery after his arrest, using fake email addresses to send bogus references to secure employment.

On Friday, Parry, formerly of Middleton, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to an additional two years in prison after admitting fraud by false representation.

Parry was initially jailed for two years after admitting charges of possession of indecent images and a prior fraud offence, which also involved falsified job references. None of the images involved children in his care.

His sentence for the fraud offence was later increased by a year and eight months after it was ruled to be unduly lenient.

Following BBC coverage of the case, it emerged Parry had gone on to secure work at another nursery in the city after his arrest.

On Friday, Judge Crowson said Parry, who appeared via a video link from prison, "deceived" the nursery by falsifying references and creating "fictious" email addresses to secure the job.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson told the court an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check was run on Parry, but he was given the job at the nursery.

However, he was let go after failing his three-month probationary period, which Pearson said was due to "problems with his attendance and behaviour at work".

She told the court the nursery lost about £20,000 as a result of Parry's offending, made up of both the defendant's wages and money spent on measures put in place, including increased safeguarding measures.

Thomas Doyle, defending, said Parry offered an early guilty plea to the latest offence.

He added the defendant "presents as someone significantly younger" than his age, and struggles with his mental health.

Passing sentence, Judge Crowson said: "If the truth had been known, you would have never been allowed in the building."

Parry poses a "serious threat" to children, the judge told the court, adding he "researched and found a method to continue to have contact with vulnerable children".

Judge Crowson said parents of children at the nursery had been left with a "level of anxiety and uncertainty", which "might not leave them for a long time".

"This happened because you were able to deceive by manipulating a system you were familiar with."

Including the additional two years, which are to be served after his current custodial sentence, Parry's total sentence is now five years and eight months.

Judge Crowson said the case was an "example as to why open justice and free press is so important in this country".

Discussing Parry's latest offence, a parent said he "deliberately sought a position that gave him access to vulnerable children".

"The warning signs were not identified, and the consequences for our families have been devastating and irreversible," the parent, who wished to be anonymous, said.

"A conviction does not mean justice is complete.

"We will continue fighting for accountability and meaningful change until those responsible for these failures are held to account and other children are better protected."

A DBS check is the highest level of scrutiny, necessary for unsupervised work with children and reveals criminal records, police intelligence and whether someone is banned from working with children.

A spokesperson for the DBS told the BBC in March: "A DBS check is just part of a safer, comprehensive recruitment process, providing a snapshot of an applicant's criminal record to help employers assess suitability, particularly for roles involving vulnerable groups.

"It is not a standalone guarantee of safety and should be used alongside interviews, reference checks, and verification of qualifications."

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