'Depraved' Washington pervert paid 'facilitators' in Philippines for little girls to suffer 'degrading violence' so he could watch online

Brian Cairns sent money to "facilitators" in the Philippines, via an international money transfer, so he could could watch little girls undergo the most vile attacks, at his direction.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 60-year-old kept screenshots of the horrors he had ordered, "almost off a menu".

During one of the sickening live videos, Cairns asked the for a break to go and get some cigarettes so he could smoke while he watched the "unsafe and degrading" acts.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby told the court officers from Northumbria Police Paedophile Investigation Team had seized Cairns' computer devices after they received information he had been sending "large sums of money" overseas in exchange for child abuse images.

Mr Cleasby said an analysis of Cairns' computer revealed a series of chats and added: "It was clear from the conversations money had been paid by the defendant in order for sexual abuse of children to take place live on camera while he watched."

The court heard Cairns ordered that the abused girls should be under a certain age and made specific requests involving "degrading violence" that he wanted done to them.

Cairns, of Pendle Close, Washington, admitted two charges of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child and two of making indecent photographs of a child.

Judge Amanda Rippon jailed Cairns for 13 years with an extended one year licence period.

The judge said the offences were "some of the most depraved I have had the displeasure to come across in my work in the criminal justice system in the context of child abuse".

Judge Rippon said: "Suffice to say, these offences are of the most grave kind.

"You ordered, almost off a menu, for children who you did not want to be older than (a certain age), to me not just abused, but tortured – and they were.

"They were tortured for your sexual gratification in the most abhorrent way.

"You even told them to wait at one point so you could go and get some cigarettes so you could smoke while you watched.

"You directed the abuse.

"These children are very young, desperately so in the context of what you were requesting was done to them."

Judge Rippon said Cairns must be "inherently dangerous" and a has been assessed as a "high risk of harm to children".

He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for life and pay £1,500 costs.

Chloe Fairley, defending, said Cairns has been a "hard working man all his life" and spent recent years looking after his elderly parents.

Miss Fairley told the court Cairns feels "shame and embarrassment" for what he did and wants to address his behaviour.

She added: "There can be no excuse for this offending at all and no excuse is made but it does appear he seems to have led an increasingly isolated life leading up to this offending."

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