Two men found guilty of plotting sex attacks on children

Two men have been found guilty of plotting sex attacks on children, as the trial of a gang of paedophiles ended in Bristol.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court found John Denham, 49, from Wiltshire, and Matthew Stansfield, 34, from Hampshire, both guilty of conspiracy.

Mr Denham was acquitted of conspiracy to rape but found guilty of conspiracy to sexually abuse a child. Mr Stansfield was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to rape a child.

The two men were part of a gang that raped and abused babies, toddlers and children under five and were the last of seven members to be convicted.

The others - Robin Hollyson, 30, from Bedfordshire; Christopher Knight, 35, from Manchester; Adam Toms, 33, from Somerset; David Harsley, 51, from Humberside and Matthew Lisk, 32, from East Sussex - had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges they faced.

They all face “significant” prison sentences and some could be jailed for life when they return to court.

The sex ring preyed on the families of the youngsters they targeted, in one case grooming a mother and father before their baby was born.

Members would often travel long distances to carry out the sickening attacks together or watch the abuse over the internet if only one had access to a victim.

Mr Hollyson, who was previously known as Robin Fallick, Mr Stansfield and Mr Harsley are already convicted sex offenders while Mr Denham, who changed his name from Benjamin Harrop, was a respected youth football coach.

In total they faced more than 30 charges, including the rape of a child, conspiracy to rape a child, sexual activity with a child and administering a substance with intent against three victims - a baby, a toddler and a pre-school age child.

But investigators, speaking before today's verdicts, believe there are other victims.

The gang hid behind a veil of respectability with careers and families to habitually target children under the age of five in Yorkshire, the South East, and the South West.

The NCA, which led the investigation, said the perverts met after discussing their sexual interests in young children on legitimate social media and adult sex sites.

Graham Gardner, deputy director of investigations at the NCA, said the ring “has got tentacles that go round the world”.

The men, who did not know each other outside of their involvement in the abuse, led respectable lives - including a married former actor and a businessman - and concealed their activities from the outside world until they were unmasked.

Mr Gardner said: “They don't stand out as monsters, but they are monsters in disguise. We rarely see criminal behaviour involving the sexual abuse of children to this degree.”

Press Association