A woman who plotted to let a paedophile rape her seven-year-old daughter has been jailed for nine years.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, planned a sex attack on the girl with Stuart Bailey in a series of "depraved" text messages, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

The mother also sent the 54-year-old a naked picture of the youngster and bought sleeping pills to drug her.

The court heard that the pair exchanged dozens of messages and the offences only came to light when the woman's partner found the messages on her phone and reported her.

Bailey, who was jailed for a total of 13 years, and the woman were found guilty of conspiracy to rape a girl aged under 13 after a trial in December.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the mother planned a sex attack on her daugher with Stuart Bailey in a series of text messages. Credit: PA

Bailey, of Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, South Wales, was also convicted of encouraging the distribution of indecent photographs of a child and encouraging the sexual assault of a child by another woman.

At an earlier hearing the woman admitted distributing five indecent images of a child and Bailey admitted possessing those images.

A spokesman for NSPCC Wales said: "It is difficult to comprehend how a mother could voluntarily offer her own child to be sexually assaulted in this way.

"A parent should protect their child from harm rather than being complicit in their suffering at the hands of paedophiles like Bailey.

"It is right that both the mother and Bailey have received significant sentences.

"This should send out a message that the sexual abuse of children will not be tolerated, and that those caught planning such heinous crimes will face the full force of the law."