In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that 41-year-old Richard Tasker—of Weymouth Avenue, Oakes, Huddersfield—was jailed for 26 weeks after being found guilty of downloading “disgusting” images of infants and young children. Tasker appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court where he faced Category A, B, and C charges relating to the making of indecent photographs. It was reported that the investigation established Tasker, a former bar manager, had used his laptop to access the most extreme forms of child abuse material, including images of rape and torture.
The investigation established that West Yorkshire Police raided Tasker’s home on 23 September 2019, where he was a lodger. The prosecution reported that during the raid, officers seized a laptop containing Category A images—the most severe classification involving the sexual abuse of very young children—as well as Category B and C material. Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that Tasker admitted to being the only person with access to the device and had used it to visit adult websites on the very morning the illicit downloads occurred.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Tasker’s defence—claiming his computer must have been “hacked”—was entirely implausible. The investigation established that the images were downloaded within a concentrated period of a few minutes while Tasker was actively using the device. The prosecution reported that Tasker, who described himself as a “pansexual male,” showed “no remorse at any time” during his interview with the Probation Service, maintaining a total denial of his sexual interest in children despite the forensic evidence.
Judge-led proceedings at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court concluded in December 2020, with the chairman of the bench, John Webster, sentencing Tasker to 26 weeks in prison. For his actions in Huddersfield and the “very young age” of the victims reported, he was ordered to serve the sentences for both charges concurrently. The judge noted the lack of remorse and the gravity of the “torture” depicted in the images, ordering Tasker to pay a £122 surcharge and imposing an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in West Yorkshire, the status of Richard Tasker as of April 10, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Sentenced to 26 weeks in 2020; served custodial term; currently under community supervision).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active until 2027 (7-year period).
- SHPO Status: Subject to an INDEFINITE Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Including strict digital forensic monitoring, a ban on deleting internet history, and mandatory disclosure of all internet-enabled devices to police).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; loss of bar management accreditation).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Making indecent photographs of a child: Category A, B, and C).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court; investigated by West Yorkshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Possessed images of infants being raped and tortured; Used a “hacking” defence deemed implausible by the bench; Sourced Category A material while active on his laptop; Admitted to “pansexual” identity.
- Origin: Oakes, Huddersfield.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Tasker is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Huddersfield area. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “consumption of the most severe Category A torture material and his total lack of remorse”—his management is a priority for the West Yorkshire Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his background as a bar manager identifies him as an individual who occupied a position of public interaction, requiring the most intensive tier of statutory oversight to ensure he is permanently excluded from roles involving proximity to the public or vulnerable individuals.
As a registered sex offender, the 47-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his indefinite SHPO is a vital safeguard to prevent him from regaining digital anonymity. Any change of residence in Huddersfield or elsewhere, any attempt to bypass his digital monitoring software, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who demonstrated a “persistent and disturbing intent” to view the abuse of infants.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “bar manager” who claimed to be “hacked” despite being the sole user of the device, do you believe that “False Hacking Defences” should lead to an automatic uplift in sentencing to reflect the lack of remorse and the attempt to mislead the court?
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