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Warning: Some readers may find the details within this article distressing.
A young couple have been jailed for using an online chatroom to “trade” having sex in return for watching a child being abused.
Nick Barrett and Summer Andrew, both 23, of Clacton, Essex, were caught livestreaming themselves having sex in return for watching the abuse of a four-year-old child.
The pair had used the online chat service Omegle, which shut down in November last year while facing a $22m (£17m) lawsuit brought by a plaintiff who was the victim of child abuse on the platform when she was 11.
Barrett was given a 12-year sentence after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
Andrew was given a three-year sentence for arranging the commission of a child sex offence after she denied the allegation but was eventually found guilty.
During hearings at Chelmsford Crown Court, Barrett was described as lacking “insight into your sexual preoccupation” and told he presented “a real risk of sexual harm to children in the future.”
The judge told Andrew: “This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.
“It may have been that none of the videos and contact was done on your phone, but the difficulty that I face is that if on your release you become involved in the same type of relationship as with Barrett.”
Detective Sergeant Nicola Hadfield, of Essex Police, said: “The tireless work of our officers has managed to safeguard other children from coming to harm in the hands of Barrett and Andrew.
“The two will now be registered sex offenders, meaning that they will have indefinite notification requirements and every interaction with any children in the future will be monitored.
“These offences took place on the former online chat room site Omegle, which would allow users to video chat with randomly selected users.
“Omegle shut down after 14 years in November 2023 following multiple investigations into child abuse being attributed to the site.
“It’s a positive move forward to see a large online platform taking accountability for offences which may take place on their site.”
