Sara Oliveria, David Lee 38

Description

A sick couple who hatched a chilling paedophile plot on Facebook met for the first time in the dock after being convicted of a disturbing string of offences.

Sara Oliveria filmed herself performing sex acts as a young child watched in a series of Facebook and WhatsApp messages before sending them to 'depraved' David Lee, despite the pair never having met in person. Lee was 'misusing' messaging app Kik by uploading twisted videos of children being sexually abused, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday.

The 37-year-old was eventually foiled when officers tracked down his IP address to his home on James Road in Woolton on February 1 last year. A series of vile chats between the former support worker and Oliveria were then discovered when several electronic devices were seized from him, Liverpool Echo reports.

Lee "stated his desire to have sexual contact" with his co-defendant "in full view" of a child and said he wanted the youngster to "touch his penis" in messages to Oliveria. Many of the details of their conversations are too graphic to publish, but Oliveria, of Gray Street in Bootle, responded to his perverted proposals by saying: "Yes, I love this idea."

The 37-year-old restaurant cleaner then filmed 24 videos and two photos which she sent to Lee. His mobile phone had a stash of two category A indecent images of children - the most serious form of abuse. Also stored on the device were two category B pictures, one being a still from said movie, and one category C image.

Under interview with police, Oliveria told officers that she had met Lee on Facebook and the pair had subsequently chatted on the social media network and WhatsApp. She also said that they had "never actually met in person".

At points during the hearing, Oliveria could be seen holding her head in her hands and weeping and described herself as being "vulnerable" when she struck up a relationship with Lee due to the breakdown of a previous relationship. She stated that speaking with Lee "made her feel good" and she "did not want to lose contact with him", so "played along with the fantasy".

Neither defendant has any previous convictions. Peter Wilson, appearing on behalf of Lee, said: "His offending behaviour really stems from his formative years. His uncle began to engage in assaults and homophobic abuse towards Mr Lee. He describes his uncle's behaviour as having left him feeling anxious and frightened.

"That has caused serious mental health issues. When he was young, he saw his mother suffer from an emotional breakdown. That caused him to use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate and escape his feelings. He didn't have the resilience to tackle his problems.

"However, all of that cannot excuse what has been said and done by Mr Lee. It goes some way to perhaps explain his behaviour. He is working hard to address these issues. He is absolutely terrified of what the court may impose today. He is motivated to address these issues and build a better life for himself. He is doing everything he can."

Peter White, defending Oliveria, meanwhile told the court: "She has come prepared for all eventualities. It wouldn't appear she was the driving force behind this offending. It is accepted that she engaged voluntarily. She is at a loss to explain why she has chosen to engage in this behaviour.

"She felt lonely and isolated. She concedes that that is no excuse. Her chief motivation is, whatever happens today, to try and put this behind her. She assures me she won't darken the doors of the court again.

"This is a lady who has had no involvement with the police until her arrest on these matters. She had a difficult upbringing in her native Lisbon - she tells me she was abandoned by her parents and there were periods of homelessness as a child."

Oliveria admitted two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and was jailed for 16 months and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Lee pleaded guilty to encouraging an offender, possession of indecent images and three counts of making indecent images. He was imprisoned for two years, as well as being handed a sexual harm prevention order and a notification requirement - both of which will run for the next decade.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said to him: "What is clear from many, many of the messages is that the sexual thrill and satisfaction you got was from the fact that this was happening in front of a child. Initially she was reluctant, but whatever reluctance she had initially was largely forgotten."