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A disgraced former British Army officer has been jailed for paying mothers in the Philippines to sexually abuse their children in front of him on webcam.

Dad-of-three Andrew Whiddett spent thousands of pounds to watch the sick footage and gave directions during live video streams on Skype.

On one occasion he paid £31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl abused.

The 70-year-old former lieutenant colonel also discussed flying to the Southeast Asian country to sexually abuse children himself, asking one facilitator: “If I visit would you let me see daughter."

Sentencing Whiddett to three years and two months behind bars, a judge told him that he was going to jail despite a number of "exceptional testimonials" from former colleagues.

(Image: PA)

Whiddett, who was awarded an MBE for service in Northern Ireland and worked as head of security at the British Embassy in Iraq, pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the sexual abuse of children before his trial was due to start.

Among them, the former armed forces member, who has since married an Indonesian woman he met online, admitted live-streaming offences and making indecent images of children.

Judge Nicholas Ainley told Croydon Crown Court in south London on Wednesday: "I have borne in mind and I'm well aware of the dedicated service to this country by the defendant.

"But children, wherever they are in the world, have to be protected from this kind of activity.

"This is a 70-year-old man who has been a dedicated and courageous man to this country, a devoted husband and father left bereft by being widowed a few years ago - and also somebody who has abused two young Filipino children. There is no getting around that particular fact.

(Image: PA)

"Children who are in danger have to be protected from those who would engage in any sexual activity with them and particular individuals have to be punished by way of imprisonment."

The court heard that shamed Whiddett, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, was brought to the attention of authorities after sending more than £9,000 to known child sex abuse facilitators in the Philippines between February 2013 and June 2017.

Officers seized his phone, iPad and laptop in October 2017 and unearthed 19 indecent images of children - as well as horrifying Skype chats detailing child abuse.

One woman had told Whiddett in a chat "She's nine years old, her birthday is tomorrow", and Whiddett replied "so breasts will start soon LOL".

He then sent the woman just over £30 after messaging her a series of commands of how to abuse the child in November 2015.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) passed intelligence to Filipino authorities who arrested one facilitator and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14, a spokesperson said.

(Image: PA)

In a 25-minute conversation with a woman in September 2016, Whiddett told her he wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October.

He asked if the girl would be with her and he said “need to do more teaching” and “Look forward to touch”.

Whiddett, who had served in the forces with distinction for 30 years, also said “yes darling, need to open her mind” and “lots of teaching before I arrive”.

An investigation by the National Crime Agency found that he paid thousands of pounds to one woman in about 50 transactions.

In other messages to child abuse facilitators, Whiddett said “nice pics” and also wrote “do you think I bad asking for them”.

He also asked “If I visit would you let me see daughter” and “If I visit what you allow me to do”.

He flew to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, from Heathrow Airport on October 21, 2016 for two weeks, but prosecutors did not have any physical evidence of child abuse taking place.

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Whiddett, then a widower who had no previous convictions, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on October 31, 2017.

When he was quizzed by investigators he admitted sending 158 payments to the Philippines but claimed they were for live adult sex shows.

Prosecutor Amanda Hamilton said: "He said he paid for live-streaming of sexual content with adult women in the Philippines who he met on a website called Cherry Blossom.

"He said he watched women take off their clothes and masturbate. He wasn't aware of any illegal images on his devices.

"He said he searched for young Asian girls but he meant girls between 18 and 20, not children."

He declined to answer any questions when he was interviewed again in March 2018.

His offending was carried out from the UK after he had retired from the Army and private security work.

After leaving the Army he worked as a private contractor as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad.

The court heard during a Skype chat in November 2015, Whiddett used a fake name of Nick Nicholls and asked a mother to abuse her child.

Although video footage was never found, the typed messages where recovered and the woman indicated she was with her nine-year-old daughter.

(Image: Google Maps)

Ms Hamilton said: "Mr Whiddett's responses indicate he accepted what she told him about the age of the child as he made comments about her body,

"He typed responses such as 'wow' and 'wish could meet in real' and that he wished she lived in Manila as it's easier to visit.

"He told her to touch the child and asked if he could show the child his genitals."

The charge of inciting or causing a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity and another of arranging or facilitating a sexual offence relates to the daughter of woman, the court heard.

It was said that Whiddett sent his girlfriend around £3,350 in 31 separate transactions which he later said "paid for her to have medical treatment, a hysterectomy and help her to finance a fruit store".

The prosecutor continued: "On September 26, 2016 half an hour after midday, he started a chat under the name Nick Nicholls.

"He asked if her daughter was 'ready to watch' and said the woman 'had to teach her'."

The court heard Whiddett wanted "everybody to be naked" in the video chat and said of the woman's daughter: "let her watch".

In a series of messages after this, Whiddett is said to have asked for the girl to be "taught" before he arrived in the country, which is the basis of the arranging and facilitating a sexual offence charge.

Ms Hamilton said: "He told her that her daughter needed to be talk more and he would like to see her genitals more. He said she would need lots of teaching before he arrived and she needed to 'open her mind' with 'lots of teaching'.

"The crown say Mr Whiddett's instructions showed a clear instruction the child should be groomed for later abuse."

Whiddett was jailed for one count of intent to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity relating to the chat in November 2015.

He also admitted causing or inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity in September 2016, arranging or facilitating a sexual offence against a child, and three counts of having indecent images of children.

The images related to five category C images made on April 26, 2017, three category C images made on May 3, 2016 and three category B images made on the same date.