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Andrew Whiddett jailed for Philippines child abuse | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A former Army officer who arranged for children to be sexually abused in the Philippines while he watched online has been jailed. | A former Army officer who arranged for children to be sexually abused in the Philippines while he watched online has been jailed. |
Andrew Whiddett, a retired lieutenant colonel appointed MBE for his service in Northern Ireland, paid thousands of pounds to set up and view the abuse. | Andrew Whiddett, a retired lieutenant colonel appointed MBE for his service in Northern Ireland, paid thousands of pounds to set up and view the abuse. |
He admitted six child sex charges last month. | He admitted six child sex charges last month. |
The 70-year-old, from Portsmouth, was jailed at Croydon Crown Court for three years and two months. | The 70-year-old, from Portsmouth, was jailed at Croydon Crown Court for three years and two months. |
He directed the live-streamed abuse over Skype with "known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators", the court heard. | |
He made 49 payments totalling £8,584 between January 2015 and July 2017, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. | He made 49 payments totalling £8,584 between January 2015 and July 2017, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. |
The abuse happened after his army service and after he left employment as head of security at the British embassy in Baghdad. | The abuse happened after his army service and after he left employment as head of security at the British embassy in Baghdad. |
'Soul-destroying abuse' | 'Soul-destroying abuse' |
He admitted attempting to cause or incite a nine-year-old girl and another aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity. | He admitted attempting to cause or incite a nine-year-old girl and another aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity. |
He also pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence in September 2016. | He also pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence in September 2016. |
The NCA said he told a contact he wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines the following month. | The NCA said he told a contact he wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines the following month. |
Whiddett also admitted three further charges of making indecent photographs of a child. | Whiddett also admitted three further charges of making indecent photographs of a child. |
Siobhan Grey QC, mitigating, said: "[Whiddett] lost his wife of 40 years in September 2014 to an aggressive form of cancer. He was lonely when he started online dating and got sucked in." | |
At sentencing, Judge Nicolas Ainley imposed the prison term and put the defendant on the sex offenders register indefinitely. | |
He said: "I am well aware of the service dedicated to this country but children, wherever they are in the world, need to be protected from this type of activity." | |
Speaking after a previous court hearing, NCA officer Gary Fennelly said: "Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him. | Speaking after a previous court hearing, NCA officer Gary Fennelly said: "Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him. |
"He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home." | "He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home." |
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