Mum whose ex abused kids says his jail sentence isn't long enough

He was jailed for seven years and eight months at Swindon Crown Court after admitting taking vile pictures of his naked children, sharing the images with a social media paedophile ring called VIP Kinks.

He was told by the judge will have to serve at least half his sentence before being eligible for parole.

But as an ‘offender of particular concern’ he will not be automatically released half-way through his 92-month sentence, but instead will only be released when the Parole Board says he can be.

Now, his former partner – who we are not naming in order to preserve the identity of her young children – has hit out at the sentence.

She says she plans to take the case to the Attorney General's Office under the unduly lenient sentences scheme.

Swindon Crown Court

Anger

“I’m absolutely livid,” she told the Adver, saying she felt let down by the justice system.

“I don’t think the sentence he’s got is justifiable for what he actually did.

“Drug dealers get longer than someone who has physically harmed their own child.”

She added: “It’s scary because he’s going to be around people, he’s going to be close to me and the children again.

“It’s kind of scary to think that he’s going to be allowed potentially to see the children again.

“It’s their safety more than anything I don’t feel that their safety has been taken into consideration.

“I feel people like him deserve to never have a life again for what they have done to children – especially to their own children – because of the long-term effect that it has on that child whatever age they are.

“People like that need to be kept away from society and if they come back out there is a high chance of them reoffending again.

“That’s another victim, that’s another child.”

The abuse images were shared on social media messaging app Kik

Shocking abuse

The abuse came to light in late February when Wiltshire Police were contacted by officers from overseas, understood to be in America, saying that an IP address linked to a house in Swindon had sent child sex abuse images to a paedophile ring on social media app Kik.

Detectives went to the house the day after the images were sent to the group and arrested the occupant. He initially denied involvement in the group, but later confessed to taking pictures of his naked son and of him molesting his one-year-old daughter.

Analysis of the man’s phone showed he had chatted online with other members of the group, sharing advice and vile videos and images of youngsters being sexually abused.

The children’s mum, who had split up with her ex-partner, had no idea her son and daughter were in danger. Her heart sank when she saw police at her door: “When they told me I was absolutely devastated.

“The biggest thing is accepting the fact that he has done this to the children. He has betrayed everyone.”

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She met her former partner half a dozen years ago and fell pregnant with their first child, a son. She was a stay-at-home mum and the family had a normal life. The relationship ended when he had a one night stand with another woman, she said.

Since his abuse came to light, she had noticed small things that in retrospect may have been significant: the fact he was showing favouritism towards his daughter or that his son was acting out aggressively.

She had to explain to her son that his dad was in prison.  “He was happy that his dad was in prison, because his daddy couldn’t hurt him anymore.” The boy was having counselling.

Explained: Why do some people only serve half their jail sentences? And why do others serve longer?

Under current rules, most people jailed by the courts serve half of that sentence behind bars before automatically being released on licence – serving the rest of their sentence in the community.

The coalition government brought in extended sentences, meaning that more serious adult offenders would have to serve at least two thirds of their sentence behind bars before being eligible for parole if a judge concluded they were dangerous offenders.

Those convicted of terrorism crimes or serious sexual assaults on children who are not given extended sentences must be given a special sentence for offenders of particular concern. People will serve at least half their sentence before the Parole Board can decide if they will be released on an extended licence.

There was another change earlier this year, following a Conservative election promise to get tougher on crime. Regulations that came into force on April 1 mean that people sentenced for serious violence or sexual offences are no longer be eligible for release half way into their jail term if they receive a sentence of more than seven years’ imprisonment. Only offences that carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment would be covered by the scheme.

Swindon MP Robert Buckland is the Lord Chancellor, the name given to the Justice Secretary Picture: PA

Sentencing the defendant in this case, Judge Peter Crabtree stopped short of finding the man “dangerous” – meaning he would have served at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars.

The pervert dad was given a total sentence of seven years and eight months. The bulk of the jail time – five years and four months – was given for the charge of sexual assault by penetration.

He said he had concerns about the man, including the content of the messages he was sending to others in the group VIP Kinks and an apparent lack of insight documented in a pre-sentence report.

But the judge added that this was his first custodial sentence and he had no previous convictions for sexual offences. “That is a sentence which is long enough for work to be completed with you and will involve a lengthy period on licence.”

The paedophile was ruled to be an offender of particular concern, meaning he will not be automatically released after serving half his sentence. Because he was not given at least seven years for the sexual assault, the government’s latest changes to sentencing for serious offenders do not apply to his case.