A married couple who had sex in front of a nine-year-old girl who was forced to watch on a webcam in the United States were both jailed for 10 years.

Denise and Ronald Edwards of Cinderford, Gloucestershire, also encouraged a paedophile in New York to abuse the child as they watched online.

Videos and CDs carrying images of children being abused were also later found by police at the Edwards’ home, along with a webcam in 2004.

Mr Edwards, 54, admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a girl, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity with a man and possessing indecent photographs.

His wife, 44, denied the charges and claimed that her husband was having sex with another woman on the webcam. A jury at Gloucester Crown Court convicted her of the two webcam charges, but cleared her of possessing indecent photographs. It is believed to be the first convictions secured for such offences in Britain.

Sentencing the couple at the end of their four-day trial, Judge Martin Picton told them: “What the two of you did was quite appalling. I find reading the chatlog exchanges deeply disturbing. The two of you took substantial pleasure in watching a nine-year-old girl being horribly abused and wanting it to continue.

“Your instinct should have been to protect her. Your criminality is the same as if you had been in the same room.”

Mrs Edwards broke down in tears as the sentence was passed. Mr Edwards showed no emotion.

The investigation began when James Lindgren, 57, was arrested in America by police on suspicion of abusing the girl. The Edwards’ involvement came to light when two computers were seized from his house in Jamestown, New York.

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