A man and a woman who planned to abuse two children after meeting online have been jailed.
Paul Dent was already on the sex offenders' register when he arranged to abuse the children, aged five and eight-months, with the 25-year-old woman.
The pair were arrested in July last year after police found WhatsApp messages on the woman's phone from Dent in which he encouraged the abuse.
Dent, 29, of North Avenue, Washington, Newcastle, and the woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child and conspiracy to take indecent photographs of children.
They were both sentenced to six years in prison yesterday at Snaresbrook Crown Court but Dent must serve seven years due to a suspended sentence from 2012 which was invoked.
The woman has now also been put on the sex offenders' register.
Detective Constable Nancy Smith, who led the investigation, said: "In spite of being miles apart, thanks to the internet the two defendants were able to conspire to carry out sexual acts on young children for Dent's sexual gratification.
"Throughout the investigation the woman has blamed others around her but all of the evidence was gathered and convinced the jury otherwise.
"The sentence handed down reflects the gravity of the offending. The woman will be a registered sex offender indefinitely and Dent, who was already a sex offender, has had his sentence extended for an extra year."
