Sick pervert locked up after pleasuring himself with My Little Pony plush toy during live chats with kids

Police found a collection of child abuse images on Warren Jackson's computer devices as well as footage of him carrying out vile sex acts during online calls with young victims, which he had recorded and kept.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Jackson would ask children as young as nine "can I show you something" and then expose himself and perform sex acts. The court heard during three of the videos Jackson encouraged youngsters to do the same and he sometimes pleasured himself with a My Little Pony soft toy.

Jackson told police the recordings had been a "cut and paste job" and that he had never communicated with a child, which resulted in detectives getting help from computer specialists who confirmed the videos were real.

Judge Amanda Rippon said Jackson's behaviour was "long-standing, entrenched and comprehensive sexual offending against children" as she jailed him for eight years and three months. Judge Rippon said Jackson must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for life.

The judge told him: "You had not cut and pasted the videos, you had directly spoken to them. You have directly sexually abused, albeit remotely, multiple girls aged between nine and 14 years. None of your victims have been identified but it is well established online abuse has devastating and lifelong consequences on the children abused."

Jackson, 43, of Cowpen Road, Blyth, Northumberland, admitted three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, 19 of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two of making indecent images of a child, one of possessing prohibited images and one of possessing extreme pornography.

Prosecutor Ellen Wright told the court 22 videos were found on Jackson's computer devices, most of which were in split screen format showing Jackson on one half and an unknown child or children on the other, with some text visible.

Describing one piece of footage, Miss Wright said: "A girl is present on the video, she appears to be about 10. The defendant, also on the video, can be seen penetrating a My Little Pony toy with his penis."

Miss Wright said the My Little Pony plush featured in other, similar graphic videos. The court heard as well as the footage featuring Jackson with children, police found six category A images, 118 category B, 717 prohibited images and 64 of extreme pornography which had been downloaded from the internet.

Mark Styles, defending, said Jackson is on the neurodivergent spectrum and has "highly unusual traits to his behaviour". Mr Styles said the offending happened between 2012 and 2018 and there has been no repeat of it since.