Toddler abuser's indefinite jail

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A convicted paedophile who photographed himself sexually abusing an 18-month-old toddler has been jailed indefinitely.

Judge Dafydd Hughes at Mold Crown Court told Edward Bernard Collins, 46, from Rhyl, he was a danger to young girls.

He said ordinarily Collins would have been given a six year term, but this sentence was to protect the public.

The prosecution said it was a "horrific example" of grooming and assaulting a child. Collins admitted 15 offences.

These included two charges of sexually touching a child of one, seven offences of taking indecent photographs of children and six offences of downloading child pornography off the internet.

The court heard Collins was jailed for two years at Birmingham Crown Court in October 1999 for eight child pornography offences.

He had worked as a nursery nurse and was at teacher training college when he was caught in Birmingham and was then placed on the sex register for 10 years.

Laptop computer

Released from jail he befriended a woman and her partner and when the couple moved to north Wales, Collins moved to Rhyl to be closer to them.

It was then, the court heard, that the paedophile groomed the couple's children and sexually assaulted the baby.

In April, police first found pornographic images on Collins' computer hard drive and later a further 360 images on a laptop computer that he had pawned at a local shop.

Forty seven photos were of the two little girls, including some showing Collins indecently assaulting the 18-month-old girl.

Prosecuting, Gareth Parry said Collins has taken the two girls out on a Sunday morning, first to McDonalds and then to his flat. There he took photographs of the girls jumping up and down on his bed when they had no underwear on.

'Abiding sexual interest'

Mr Parry said: "The defendant admitted that he was sexually aroused by that."

While the older girl played, Collins indecently photographed himself assaulting the her sister, he added.

Simon Mintz, defending, said that a psychiatric report raised many issues and he accepted that a sentence for public protection would be passed.

Mr Mintz said fortunately the girls were so young they would not have been aware what was happening to them.

The judge said he hoped he was right but it was clear the girls had been exposed to sexual behaviour.

"You had no thought of the harm you may have caused those children," the judge told Collins.

He said it was clear that he had an "abiding sexual interest in very young girls" and that he posed a significant risk to them.

The judge said Collins would be locked up until the parole baord considered he was safe to be released.

The law meant he could apply for release after three years but that did not means Collins would be released then, the judge added.

Collins was ordered to register as sex offender for life and told he must never work with children, nor own a camera or mobile with camera facility