A countrywide gang of paedophiles roamed the country to rape babies and pre-school children in attacks that were live streamed over the internet, a court heard today.

Members of the child sex ring preyed on the families of the youngsters they targeted - sometimes offering to babysit their victims, jurors were told.

Some would travel long distances to carry out the attacks together or watch a live stream over the internet if only one had access to a victim, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The harrowing details of the group's alleged crimes were revealed as two went on trial at Bristol Crown Court (pictured) accused of conspiracy to rape or sexually abuse a baby

Prosecutor Robert Davies told the jury five of the gang have pleaded guilty to a range of offences, including rape of a child and conspiracy to rape a child during 2013 and 2014.

They are Robin Hollyson , 30; Christopher Knight, 35; Adam Toms, 33; David Harsley , 51, and Matthew Lisk, 32.

Two others, John Denham, 49, and Matthew Stansfield, 34, have denied charges of conspiracy to rape a child and are on trial.

'This prosecution will take you into a world you wish did not exist,' Mr Davies said.

'The evidence exposes the shocking interest a group of men had in sexually abusing children and babies, particularly pre-school children and babies.

'A real baby was for certain abused and raped by some of those involved. Also a boy aged four or five was brought into a room while a man engaged in sexual activity for his own enjoyment as men watched live on the internet.

'Those others, particularly on the internet where part of an operation that such things would occur, even if they were not those committing the sexual acts.'

The child sex ring would connect to the internet using the 'dark web' - a way of hiding online activity, the court was told

Mr Davies said members of the gang would contact each other using Skype, video conferencing software and other online chatrooms.

They would also connect to the internet using the 'dark web' - a way of hiding online activity, the court was told.

The group of men - from Wiltshire, Hampshire, Bedfordshire, Humberside, Manchester and Somerset - tried to recruit more watchers and one boasted he would soon have access to a newborn child.

'The abuse would be arranged when there was a "window of opportunity" to abuse a baby,' Mr Davies said.

'Those involved in the planning of the abuse were as much a part of that abuse as those taking part in that abuse.

'The abuse was planned and was not just fantasy.'

Mr Davies added: 'The evidence of what occurred at different times comes from various sources and despite the efforts of many of those involved to destroy evidence before they were arrested, such as wiping hard drives clean'.

He said both Stansfield and Denham admitted taking part in Skype chats.

'They accept their involvement in the Skype chat but essentially say it was just fantasy and nothing more and the prosecution say that was plainly untrue,' he said.

'We suggest that plans to rape the boy were very real and indeed it happened. Those two knew that in encouraging it, it was likely that someone would commit this type of thing.

'If not them, then this abuse would be broadcast to others by conferencing networks or Skype.

'Part of the excitement and titillation for some of them was watching a baby being abused - that did it for them.'

In one incident in February last year, Stansfield allegedly drove from his home in Hampshire more than 100 miles to where Hollyson lived because the latter had a 'thin window of opportunity' to spend time with a baby.

'This was an opportunity that was too good to miss,' Mr Davies said.

'It is not clear precisely what happened to the baby that day, but we know there was a plan because Christopher Knight and Robin Hollyson have pleaded guilty. The question is whether Stansfield was part of it'.

THE DARK WEB: WEBSITES THAT DON'T SHOW UP ON SEARCH ENGINES The dark web is a subsection of the deep web - the part of the internet that does not show up in searches or on social media. Most of the information on the web is far down on dynamically generated sites, unable to be found or seen by traditional search engines. The dark web is used as a way of sharing information and trading goods, but the anonymous and encrypted nature of it has attracted large amounts of illegal activity. Other dark net sites let users share pornographic photographs, hacked information and credit card numbers. Advertisement

In another incident, Mr Davies said Skype chat logs allegedly showed Denham in conversation with Hollyson about raping the same baby the previous month.

But Hollyson was unexpectedly detained in hospital on January 17 and the incident did not happen, the court heard.

'It may well be that he does not turn up. We say that he is not just a laptop masturbating fantasist and there is a real plan for the baby to be raped on January 17,' Mr Davies said.

'We say that Mr Denham is part of that plan. He pushed the idea along and trades on the fact that he will have access to a newborn and is very disappointed that Hollyson is stuck in hospital.'

Jurors also told of another incident in 2013 involving Denham, who is married, Lisk, from Sussex, and Harsley, from Humberside, who had all met on a paedophile internet chat room.

Harsley committed a sex act in front of a child aged four or five as Denham and Lisk watching over the internet, while also engaging in consensual sexual activity themselves.

'We suggest that Mr Denham and the other man might as well have been in the room with the boy', Mr Davies said.

The court heard how none of the parents of the children involved had any idea their sons were being abused by the men.

The group were arrested between September 11 and 25 after police used IP addresses to track Hollyson, the court heard.

Hollyson has already admitted orally raping a baby. He filmed the horrific encounter and distributed it on the internet for other 'like-minded men to enjoy'.

Denham, who was previously known as Benjamin Harrop, of Wiltshire denies a charge of conspiracy to rape a child under the age of 13 and the alternative of conspiracy to sexually assault a child under the age of 13.

He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child and child pornography offences.

Stansfield, of Hampshire, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to rape a child under 13 and one alternative charge of conspiracy to sexually assault a child under the age of 13. He has also pleaded guilty to child pornography offences.