Sales advisor from Irvine jailed for live streaming abuse of children

A sales advisor who was the first person in Scotland to be convicted of live streaming abuse of children has been jailed for nine years.

A judge told Mathew Bell he had sunk to “new depths of depravity” with his sick crimes.

The 51 year-old directed attacks from his home in Irvine, North Ayrshire.

He was in contact with female paedophiles in the Philippines to prey on the children as he watched.

This included him paying 93p to see a young girl abused.

Bell also directed a man to rape an unconscious woman via live-stream.

He today/yesterday returned to the High Court in Glasgow having earlier pled guilty to four charges under the Sexual Offences Act.

Lord Arthurson told him: “This involved abuse in the Philippines that you orchestrated and live streamed into your home by way of an internet connection.

“Those working in these courts require, in large part, to endure a daily diet of depravity.

“On occasion, an indictment comes before the court in which new depths of such depravity are plumbed.

“I have concluded that yours is such a case.

“I propose to sentence you on no different basis that if you had undertaken the sexual abuse in person.

“What you actually did, by involving proxy third-party abusers, merits an even more substantial period of imprisonment.”

Bell will be also be supervised for a further six years on his release.

The pervert was snared in March last year. His computer and hard drive were analysed.

Prosecutor Steven Borthwick said: “Moving images of child sexual exploitation were recovered.

“Bell has instructed said abuse to take place by verbal and written communication to persons in the Philippines via internet message services.”

The court was told a young boy was attacked in April 2016.

Bell chatted to two women via Skype as the pair preyed on the child.

At one stage, Bell states: “Ah, ok...good, good.”

The hearing was then told Bell “participated in the sexual abuse” of a girl in March 2017.

The pervert again spoke to a Filipino woman via Skype as she attacked the child.

A message is sent stating: “Give good show...now I send 1k cash (in) morning”.

Another girl was also targeted in a similar way around the same time.

The court heard there was also evidence of Bell “making payment for the sexual services of a child”.

This emerged from a “live screenshot” during the abuse.

Mr Borthwick: “It showed Brown making a payment of 50 Philippine Piso (93p)...there is an element of bartering as the female will not continue.”

The prosecutor added police cyber experts usually found images which had an accused person had instead downloaded.

He went on: “The unit is not aware of any other case involving live streaming of child sexual abuse in a foreign jurisdiction.”

Police also uncovered horrific footage of a woman in the Philippines being raped in 2013 - under the direction of Bell via the internet.

Mr Borthwick said there had been an “agreed plan” and that Bell “acted in concert” to sexually assault the woman.

He also pled guilty at the earlier hearing to making indecent photographs of children.

The five charges span between 2013 and 2017.

John McEloy, defending, today/yesterday said: “The offending is despicable and the effect on the victims will be significant.

“He had viewed 'normal' pornography before falling down a wormhole of depraved pornography.

“He despises himself knowing what he did was wrong.”

Bell – who showed no emotion during the hearing – was also placed on the sex offenders list indefinitely

An NSPCC spokesman said: “The sentence handed to Bell reflects the gravity of his offending. Behind every sickening video viewed by Bell were real children suffering the most appalling sexual abuse.

“It is vital he receives effective treatment behind bars to reduce any threat he poses to children in the future.

“The production of child abuse images is a global criminal industry and the war to stop it is only just beginning.

“The NSPCC is campaigning for internet companies, government and law enforcement to do far more to prevent abuse images from being produced and circulated in the first place."