Teacher jailed for watching live stream of child rape Published duration 1 August 2017

image copyright PA image caption Brookes viewed the abuse from an online chat room, Bristol Crown Court heard

A primary school teacher who watched a live stream of a six-year-old boy being raped has been jailed.

Wayne Brookes joined 45 other paedophiles online to watch the abuse being streamed live from America.

Bristol Crown Court heard he also used the site to watch a recording of a six-month-old baby being abused.

Brookes, 43, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, admitted four charges of making indecent images of children and was jailed for 20 months.

The court heard the former teacher accessed the online chat room after being given a 10-digit code by another paedophile.

The rapist who broadcast the attack was arrested in the US in February and jailed for up to 30 years.

Brookes, who had worked as a teacher for 10 years, was identified by officers after using a profile named Bear to access the chat room.

He was found to have downloaded more than 200 indecent images of children, including dozens in the highest category.

'Broken man'

Judge Martin Picton said he had kept his interest in young children a secret from his partner, viewing the indecent material "late at night".

"One of the pieces of footage depicted the live streaming of a rape of a little boy," he added.

"I do give you the benefit of doubt with the issue of whether you understood that you were watching a live event."

The judge said although there was "no suggestion" that Brookes accessed indecent images at work or "offended against any of the children" in his care, his offences would have caused "alarm and distress" at the school where he worked.

Defence barrister Virginia Cornwall said Brookes had "demonstrated remorse and understanding for his criminality" and was "a broken man".

Brookes is the second of four men to be sentenced following an investigation into the chat room by the National Crime Agency.

Last month, youth worker Darren Williams, 44, was jailed for 11 years for his part in the live stream of the rape.

Philip Crabtree, 35, of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and Christian Johnson Lueking, 36, of Raynes Park, London, are currently awaiting sentencing.

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