Locations
Cobden Street, Darlington, County Durham, DL1
Description
The full scale of a couples depravity only came to light when they were caught by a paedophile hunting group after they groomed a teenager for sex.
A search of Amy Scott and Gavin Marsdens home revealed they had a vile collection of child abuse videos and photographs many of which were recorded by the pair.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the sick Darlington couple had sexually abused a number of children over several years before they were finally brought to justice.
Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said that their reign of abuse came to an end when Scott started sending a 14-year-old girl sexually explicit messages and videos without realising she was talking to a decoy posing as a child.
She said Scott sent the girl a video of herself performing a sex act before encouraging her to do it to herself.
Scott then arranged for the pair to meet the teenager at Durham Railway Station in April last year but they were confronted by members of the paedophile hunting group who had already called the police.
Following their arrest, police searched their home and recovered several digital devices and a forensic examination revealed the full extent of their depraved behaviour.
Miss Egerton said a significant number of child abuse images were recovered as well as a series of messages between the pair encouraging each other to sexually assault children.
Marsden, 31, and 32-year-old Scott, both of Cobden Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sex abuse charges, including distribution of indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and attempting to engage in sexual behaviour with a child.
Caroline McGurk, representing Marsden, said her client lived in a "fantasy land" and accepted that he had previous convictions for child sex offences.
He has acknowledged that he continues to have sexual thoughts towards children, she said.
In his pre-sentence report, he denied it in one breath and then expressed remorse with the next. We have to accept that he is a dangerous offender.
And Robert Mochrie, representing Scott, said his client was of low intelligence and had been influenced by her partner to commit the offences.
Judge Chris Smith branded Marsden as the driving force behind the couples sickening child sex abuse campaign.
He said: An examination of digital devices seized after your arrest uncovered a shocking catalogue of child abuse committed by the pair of you over a long period of time."
He said that a WhatsApp conversation between the pair revealed Marsden requesting that Scott should photograph herself performing a sickening sex act with a very young child.
He added: Other indecent moving and still images recovered after your arrest reveal how you were involved at first hand in the sexual abuse of children and in the making and possessing of child pornography.
Marsden was given a 22-year sentence 16 years in custody followed by an additional six years on extended licence.
Scott was given a 15-year sentence 11 years in custody and a further four years on extended licence.