A couple who committed depraved offences related to child sexual abuse have been jailed.

Amie Willsea, from Dover, and Jason Fox, from Deal, were told they had engaged in "shocking and repeated" acts from which they both, despite their assertions, gained sexual gratification.

A judge said Willsea was an "active and willing participant" and Fox a "predatory paedophile".

Canterbury Crown Court heard the pair's warped behaviour came to light after Fox, 42, showed an explicit video of 40-year-old Willsea to a third party, who then alerted Kent Police.

The pair were arrested and analysis of their phones revealed numerous chats, videos and images depicting "utterly and highly concerning" child abuse, said prosecutor Ben Irwin.

Some of the deviant footage, the detail of which is too graphic for KentOnline to reveal, had been recorded by Willsea and then shared with Fox.

She later claimed when interviewed by police that it was "all fantasy" before adding she had no "sexual motivation for her conduct" and alleging she had been "manipulated and controlled" by her co-accused.

However, although Fox accepted he had encouraged Willsea, he denied any force or coercion was used, added Mr Irwin.

Police also found 377 indecent images downloaded onto his phone.

These included both stills and moving footage depicting child abuse across all categories of seriousness, including rape.

Willsea, of Auden Way, admitted two child-related sexual activity offences and one of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

At their sentencing hearing on May 3, Willsea’s barrister John Barker urged the court to spare her immediate imprisonment.

He said she was herself "a vulnerable victim" who was "infatuated and sexually obsessed" with Fox and, having ended their relationship before police involvement, was then "pursued, harassed and stalked" by him.

Fox, who was living in Devon at the time but now has an address in Brenchley Avenue, pleaded guilty to two offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and three of making indecent photographs.

The court heard however that he maintains he does not have a sexual interest in children and that much of the messages exchanged with Willsea were "simply distorted fantasy".

Nicholas Maggs, defending Fox, also strongly refuted the claims Willsea had been harassed in an attempt to continue their relationship, saying there was no evidence of, or charges arising, from such behaviour.

The court heard Willsea had no previous convictions while Fox had nothing of a sexual nature in his criminal background.

Mr Maggs said those who "respected and loved" Fox would have been "significantly shocked" by his offending.

"He has accepted and admitted, to a large part, his conduct and, to an extent, accepted where his behaviour was outside the norm," continued the barrister.

"There are many defendants who maintain they have no distorted interests at all and, in effect, don't think they have a problem.

"This defendant does and wishes to engage in treatment and is someone who would benefit from treatment."

Mr Barker told the court Willsea was "highly remorseful and ashamed" of her conduct, adding that she was herself a victim of emotional and physical abuse, and her relationship with Fox was "but another example" of an abusive one.

"It is plain he had in his mind the fact his co-defendant was highly vulnerable and could be taken advantage of," said Mr Barker.

"In the messages between them there are examples of her infatuation and sexual obsession with him, but also her vulnerability."

The court also heard Willsea was drinking "copious volumes" of alcohol at the time but had since made "significant efforts" to rehabilitate herself.

However, on sentencing the pair, Judge Simon James said that while there was an element of grooming and "persistent pressurising" in Fox's offending, Willsea was "actively and deliberately" involved.

Fox, he added, was also a dangerous offender with "a seemingly insatiable appetite" for indecent material that was "recorded, retained and rewatched".

Handing him an eight-year extended sentence comprising five years' imprisonment with an additional three years to any licence period, Judge James told Fox: "It is clear from all that I have read that you have some deeply concerning attitudes, as exhibited by your possession of images of children being raped and sexually abused, and your open discussion of sexual fantasies involving children.

"I consider the evidence points to you being a predatory paedophile who is unwilling or unable to be guided by societal norms, and has been prepared to target and groom the vulnerable in order to encourage the actual abuse of children for your own sexual gratification."

The judge added that due to Fox's lack of remorse and insight, as well as his continued protestations about his sexual interests, he was "compelled" to conclude that he poses a significant risk of causing serious harm to children.

But he also said that while Fox had "manipulated and encouraged" Willsea, they had both "acted together" to derive sexual gratification.

Although accepting she had at the time been experiencing mental health problems, Judge James told Willsea as he jailed her for four years: "It is abundantly clear from the evidence that far from reluctant acquiescence you were an active and willing participant in what was happening."

Both were made subject to indefinite sexual harm prevention orders and sex offender notification requirements.