Locations
Sandfield Road Eccleston St. Helens WA10
Description
A primary school deputy head teacher and her partner have been jailed for dozens of child sexual abuse offences, including nine counts of rape.
Julie Morris, 44, the safeguarding lead at a school in Wigan, and David Morris filmed themselves abusing and raping a girl under the age of 13.
The teacher was jailed for 13 years and four months.
Her 52-year-old partner, of St Helens, admitted 34 offences at a previous hearing and was jailed for 16 years.
Julie Morris, of Hindley, worked at St George's Central C of E Primary School in Wigan but the charges are not related to her employment.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the videos showed Julie Morris giggling as the abuse took place.
Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary, said: "Every now and again you see cases, the circumstances of which are almost beyond belief. This is one of those cases.
"It demonstrates that human depravity really knows no depths."
'Disgusting and depraved'
The Crown Prosecution Service said it was one of the most horrific cases they have had to deal with.
"It truly appears like both of them were equally involved," district crown prosecutor Damion Lloyd said.
"They've formed this horrendous sexual interest in children and they've acted out their most unpleasant fantasies on the victim.
"It feels like the relationship between them is just a self-feeding cycle where they have effectively driven each other on to worse and worse acts."
In his 20 years of prosecuting, he said it was the "pinnacle" of the most "disgusting and depraved types of acts that people can discuss and do".
Prosecutor John Wyn Williams said the couple met on dating app Plenty of Fish in 2016 after both had separated from their partners and the relationship "quickly became intensely sexual".
"The communication between them became graphic and depraved which led to some of their sexual fantasies becoming a reality," he said.
Mr Wyn Williams said the couple's "sordid secret" was revealed when police found a conversation about sexual abuse of children involving David Morris in a phone seized during a search warrant.
He was arrested but cautioned and released and a number of devices were seized, which showed the recordings of rape and sexual abuse, the court heard.
Mr Wyn Williams said both defendants were arrested the following day as they appeared to be trying to evade police.
"They were on their way to the Lake District in a camper van with £10,000 in their possession," he said.
As well as videos and images on David Morris's phone, officers trawled through 175,000 pages of messages between the couple, revealing sexually explicit communications, which spanned three years.
The pair also set up a group chat with the victim in which they would talk about how they would abuse her, the court heard.
In a statement, Wigan Council said it had sought reassurances from police that there was no evidence any children at the school were harmed.
"We fully understand the school community will be appalled.
"These are despicable offences and behaviour, especially from someone in a position of trust."
Det Ch Insp Bev Hyland of Merseyside Police said the "deplorable" offences had had a "devastating impact on the victims and their families", adding that the couple were "fully aware of their actions" when committing them.
The pair were both given indefinite sexual harm prevention orders and must sign the sex offenders' register for life.
The charges:
Julie Morris admitted two counts of rape, nine of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and two of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
She also admitted three counts of taking indecent images of a child, one of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.
David Morris admitted seven counts of rape, 13 counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
He also pleaded guilty to taking indecent images, of categories A, B and C, possessing and distributing indecent images and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child.
He also admitted three counts of voyeurism, possession of an extreme pornographic image and possession of a prohibited image of a child.