PC Dean Roberts, 48, filmed himself abusing the 'helpless' infant

A vile police officer was jailed for 16 years for raping a baby - after being caught by his own colleagues.

PC Dean Roberts, 48, filmed himself abusing the 'helpless' infant - and sent the footage to other paedophiles on a messaging app.

The former officer with South Wales Police was caught after another paedophile was arrested - and detectives traced child abuse footage back to their own colleague Roberts.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the pair planned to jointly abuse children and would share footage of their crimes.

Roberts admitted rape, sexual assault of a child, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

The mother of Roberts' victim told the court: 'I can never forget the knock on my door and my whole world just falling apart.

'It was just like being hit by a bus. We will always have to live with the consequences.'

Judge Recorder of Cardiff Eleri Rees QC, handed Roberts a 16-year extended sentence and told him he must serve at least 12 years behind bars.

She said: 'The victim was particularly vulnerable because of her extremely young age.

'She was helpless to defend herself although the footage indicates she was awake and in real discomfort.'

His accomplice, lawyer John Guess, of Cardiff, was earlier jailed for 26 years for sex offences against children.

The top Welsh Government lawyer, 43, was sentenced on Monday after he ‘preyed on’ young girls then shared pictures and videos of his abuse on the internet with other paedophiles.

Guess - who was a senior lawyer advising the Welsh Government on legal matters - abused two girls as they slept and filmed the attacks to share with twisted online fiends.

A court heard he also took photos of children getting changed at swimming pools or on the beach and up the skirts of girls as they walked to school.

Prosecutor James Wilson said: ‘He has a long standing sexual interest in young girls.

‘He was deeply involved with other like-minded individuals on social media and they shared child abuse images.

‘He was part of a network of like-minded individuals who would use the Kik messenger groups and there were a number of discussions about their shared interest in abusing children.’

John Guess, of Cardiff, was earlier jailed for 26 years for sex offences against children

Mr Wilson said that in one chat Guess was sent a picture of two young girls in swimsuits by another paedophile.

He replied: ‘That first one would be great to rape.’

Guess, formerly of Cardiff but later of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, is a named author on Welsh Government reports as a legal advisor in his role as a senior lawyer.

Mr Wilson said: ‘He had the intellect and capacity to seek help but he did not.’

Cardiff Crown Court heard a victim impact statement from a mother of one of Guess's victims who said her daughter was having to see a therapist to deal with the effects of his crimes.

She said: ‘I was initially numb with the shock and horror - that numbness has been replaced with considerable sadness and anger. He was able to prey upon my daughter.’

Guess admitted 36 charges including sexual assault of a child, assault by penetration, possessing and distributing indecent images of children, inciting a child into sexual activity, aiding and abetting a child into sexual exploitation and possessing extreme porn.

Peter Rouch QC, defending, said: ‘These offences were opportunistic and there was no significant degree of planning.

‘His life is in shreds. He has lost his professional status and his employment prospects.’

Guess, of Cardiff, was sentence to 26 years and told he must serve at least 20 of them behind bars.

Judge, Recorder of Cardiff Eleri Rees, told him: ‘You have held a perverted interest in young girls since you were a young man.

‘Over the course of ten years you harvested a large collection of indecent images. They were organised into collections in a considered and calculated fashion.

‘You have become a sexual predator, taking advantage of any opportunity to take indecent images of children.

‘Had you not been arrested it would only be a matter of time and opportunity that you would proceed to rape children.

‘You seek to corrupt children by inciting them to engage online in sexual activity for your own gratification.

‘You have become accustomed to ignoring the normal social boundaries and taboos which might inhibit others.’

After the case, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: ‘The individual concerned is no longer employed by the Welsh Government.’

Speaking after the sentences of Roberts and Guess, Detective Superintendent Wendy Gunney said: 'The two people responsible for the appalling abuse of a number of very young children have now been brought to justice.

'The investigation uncovered extremely disturbing child abuse evidence.

'The safeguarding of children has been an absolute priority for the investigation team.

'Today's sentence does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve.'