A PERVERT who together with his wife subjected children to horrific sexual abuse has been jailed for life.

Steven Coleman, 41, was told he would have to serve at least 12 years before being considered for parole.

His 29-year-old wife, Amelia, was jailed for nine years for her part in what Judge Jeremy Carey branded “sexual depravity”.

The Colemans, formerly of Bredgar Close, Stanhope, Ashford, had denied a total of 15 offences.

Amelia Coleman was cleared of one charge of possessing indecent images of children, but the couple were convicted of all other charges by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

The four men and eight women took just over seven hours to reach their verdicts after a three-week trial in which they heard video evidence from the victims.

The Colemans denied various charges, including possessing indecent photographs of children.

Steven Coleman also denied charges of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child. His wife had denied indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Passing an indeterminate life sentence on Steven Coleman, Judge Carey said that he regarded him as someone with “perverted tendencies and a gross personality disorder”.

Furthermore, he said Coleman remained a danger to children and had shown complete denial and a lack of understanding of the graveness of his offending.

Judge Carey added that had he imposed a determinate sentence on Steven Coleman it would have been 18 years.

Sentencing Amelia Coleman the judge said he accepted she had not instigated the offences but was “a willing participant”.

He added that she would have to serve half her sentence before being considered for parole but was “unlikely to be deemed fit to be released” until she had served two-thirds.

Both were ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register and were banned from working with children.

Judge Carey told the pair: “The long-term effect of this sexual depravity cannot at this stage be measured.”

Prosecutor Johanna Cutts said when police searched the couple’s then home they found over 100 obscene films.

Miss Cutts said files had been deleted from the couple’s computer and it had been reformatted. But experts were able to find that they had accessed child porn.

Christopher Hehir, defending Steven Coleman, said he had received threats while on remand in prison. “He has been told he 'will be got’ whatever prison he goes to.”

Tanya Robinson, defending Amelia Coleman, said she was beaten by her husband in what was a “controlling relationship”. But the court heard the couple had not had any contact with each other while in prison.

“She says she now feels more freedom than when she was living with him on the outside,” commented Miss Robinson.

When the trial ended in December Judge Carey told the jurors they had been subjected to a “squalid account”.