A pedophile network in the U.K. consisting of at least seven men has been convicted of horrible crimes against children, including a small baby.
Prosecutors claimed, and were able to prove, that the men listed below abused and arranged for the abuse of at least three children, all pre-school age or lower, and then live-streamed their acts on the Internet to their exclusive group of members.
The men even went so far as earning the trust of expecting mothers so they could “groom” victims and act when an opportunity arose — something similar to the story of Michael Shepard that the Inquisitr brought you earlier today.
Robert Davies, in comments reported by the BBC , had this to say.
“This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist. The evidence exposes the shocking interest a group of men had in sexually abusing babies, toddlers or pre-school children. A real baby was for certain abused and raped by some of those involved.”
A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) characterized the crimes as “vile.”
“These men shared their abhorrent fantasies and honed in on very young children for sickening abuse, on easily accessible sections of the internet,” a spokesman told the news site.
“They even callously targeted pregnant women. It shows that there is still a long way to go for technology companies and social media networks who work with police to identify and prevent these crimes.”
Among the items of evidence found against the pedophile network were webchat transcripts. In one, an unnamed perpetrator (but one of the seven men listed below) admitted, “I’m really in to v.v. (very very) young,” adding, “sicker the better.”
Police hung their case on three known abuses, but said they have identified another 21 as “at-risk.”
Children as young as the pedophile network was targeting aren’t usually able to communicate the crimes that are committed against them, so police are seeking the aid of specialists in doing forensic interviews for further evidence.
Even so, the following men pleaded guilty to rape of a child and “conspiracy to rape”: Robin Hollyson, 30; Christopher Knight, 35; David Harsley, 51; Matthew Lisk, 32; and Adam Toms, 33.
John Denham, 49, and Matthew Stansfield, 34, were convicted of plotting sex crimes against the victims.
Denham admitted that he was “ashamed” of his physical attraction to young children and babies, stating that the fascination began when he was young and witnessed a young girl committing a sex act on an adult male. During the trial, he said that from there the preferred age range kept falling “lower and lower.”
There is no word at this time on sentencing, but do you think this pedophile network should be sentenced to life in prison?
[Image via BBC, linked above]