Locations
Maidstone Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24
Description
A paedophile who paid women in the Philippines to make videos of child abuse that he directed has been jailed.
Mark Terry, 55, previously of Maidstone Road, Ashford, admitted using an online payment website to send women cash in exchange for videos of them sexually abusing girls.
An investigation by the Paedophile Online Investigation Team revealed that Terry frequently paid between 15 and 25 for videos lasting between two and three minutes, sent live via a messaging app.
Acting on information received in February 2018 police searched his house and his computer was seized.
A forensic examination of the machine resulted in around 7,000 indecent images of children being located on the hard drive.
Terry was charged in March 2020 and appeared before Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 8 August 2021, where he admitted 15 counts of encouraging or assisting the commission of a child sex offence and four counts of possessing indecent images of children.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Lee Sparks of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: "This case is a disturbing example which highlights how easily children can be harmed online by strangers.
"Terry has been the cause of the most horrific abuse of young girls and despite not being physically present at the time of the assaults, he is responsible for them.
"It is saddening that we may never be able to safeguard these young victims and the case serves as a reminder that we must do everything in our power to protect the vulnerable, wherever they may be.
"This was a lengthy and complex investigation and it took considerable time to fully ascertain the extent of Terrys offending. The judge recognised the severity of Terrys crimes, issuing him a lengthy custodial sentence," he added.