A GAY foster couple were jailed yesterday for sexually abusing boys in their care.

Ian Wathey, 41, was sentenced to five years and Craig Faunch, 32, to six years at Leeds Crown Court. They have been in a civil partnership for five weeks. The couple, from West Yorkshire, had denied the allegations at an earlier trial.

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council approved Wathey and Faunch as foster carers three years ago but within months they were assaulting boys from troubled homes, the court was told. The two were found guilty of abusing four boys aged between 8 and 14.

Judge Sally Cahill, QC, said that neither man had shown any “empathy, remorse or any responsibility for their actions”.

About Faunch’s abuse of a 14-year-old boy, she said: “You chose to victimise and abuse that boy, showing the very depths, in my view, of what you are prepared to do.

“You saw him as the ideal victim. You are presented as a couple but this is not about homosexuality, it is about abuse of trust.”

Faunch was found guilty of two charges of making indecent photographs of a child.

The court was told that he used a camcorder to film two naked eight-year-old boys in the shower. He was also found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.

Wathey was found guilty of four charges of sexual activity with another 14-year-old boy, as well as encouraging a child to watch a gay porn video.

The jury cleared him of two charges of sexual activity with a child.

Neither had been in trouble with the police before. They lived in a three-bedroom, semi-detached house on a quiet cul-de-sac near Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The house is now up for sale at £120,000.

Neighbours were surprised when the men started to take in a string of young boys, but in the friendly locality the new arrivals were soon accepted, despite obvious problems in some cases.

Sue Corley, a divorcée with three children, said: “They never had any hassle here about being gay. But I must say I was a bit suspicious. There was just something about them. I was amazed when the council gave them boys to foster.”

Faunch had a job at a Wakefield tile warehouse until about four years ago. He lived modestly with Wathey and their one extravagance was a caravan at Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, where they would go for weekend breaks.

Defence barristers claimed that allegations against the two men were “bizarre”, “incredible” and unfounded.

The prosecution, however, said that the boys were not ideal witnesses but ideal victims for the men.

The court was told how the couple had taken a photograph of a boy in their care while he was urinating. Social workers decided that the men had been “naive and silly” for taking the photograph after hearing their explanation that they used it to embarrass the boys into closing the lavatory door, which they kept failing to do.

Judge Cahill added: “Once you realised social services would not take any action and believed your ridiculous story about why you had taken it, you went on to abuse others in your care, believing yourself safe from the authorities.”

Referring to the investigation, the judge said that it was “quite incredible” that the police had not been involved at an earlier stage.

Kitty Ferris, from Wakefield social services, said that the department had reviewed its internal procedures to identify what lessons should be learnt. She said that a full independent inquiry was to be held into the case.

Ms Ferris said: “The allegations made against Faunch and Wathey were referred to the police as quickly as possible and were subject to a joint investigation by the police and social services under the safeguarding procedures. This investigation led to the prosecution of the couple.

“The council has offered support, where appropriate, to children who have been affected by this case.”

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