A MEMBER of an internet paedophile ring from North Tamerton filmed himself abusing the five-year-old daughter of a friend and then sent the picture to a fellow pervert.

Nicholas Stansfield had been exchanging messages with at least three other men for months before he carried out the assault on the sleeping girl, who remains unaware of what happened.

He was staying as a guest of her parents at the house in West Devon when he went into the little girl’s room and took the image which showed his genitals touching the girl’s mouth.

He also took a picture of the girl and her sister off the parents’ Facebook page and sent that to the other paedophile. 

Police were able to trace the girls from the school uniforms they were wearing but the family were unaware of the sexual assault until Stansfield admitted it during interview.

The girl’s mother said she was devastated and the whole family have been torn apart by the revelation. 

The images which he downloaded and distributed included 268 videos and photographs which came into the worst category, some showing the assault of young babies.

Stansfield, aged 25, of Victory Road, North Tamerton, near Holsworthy, admitted sexual assault, six counts of distribution or making indecent images, and possession of five knives and two air rifles. 

He was jailed for two years and six months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court, put on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which banned contact with children and restricts his use of the internet.

The judge told him: “It is clear from the girl’s mother’s statement how your sexual assault on a sleeping five-year-old girl has damaged the family and caused really significant upset and distress.” 

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said Stansfield’s home was raided in September 2019 after the National Crime Agency discovered that images of very serious abuse had been sent from his IP address. 

An examination of his phone and computer showed he shared fantasies or images with three other men in which he claimed to have abused a baby girl who he described as ‘sexy and beautiful’. 

He had a total of 778 images of which 268 were in category A and 24 had been distributed with seven images of serious abuse being sent to him  in return

A photograph of two young girls in school uniform were found among the images he sent and police traced the parents, who said he had stayed at their house for a time in 2018. 

He later admitted going into the five-year-old’s room as she slept and taking a picture of his penis touching her mouth. He also admitted piggy-backing on the family’s Wi-Fi to download images while he was staying there.

Police found an arsenal of weapons in his car when they arrested him which included two air rifles, two hunting knives, a flick knife and two kitchen knives.

Mr Rupert Taylor, defending, said Stansfield had experienced a troubled and abusive childhood which led to developmental issues and left him lacking maturity.

He has moved on with his life since 2019 and now has a partner, a job at a shop, and is seeking treatment and counselling for his psychological problems.