Man went to hotel to watch baby abuse Published duration 1 May 2019

image caption Mitchell Cass travelled about 70 miles (110km) for the hotel meeting, Carlisle Crown Court heard

A man who arranged a meeting to watch the sexual abuse of a baby has been jailed for six years.

Mitchell Cass exchanged online messages with what he thought was a fellow paedophile but was actually an undercover police officer.

The 23-year-old, of Frizington, Cumbria, was arrested when he travelled to Lancaster where he believed he would meet the man and the baby in a hotel.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to a series of sexual offences.

Hundreds of illegal images of children were found on his electronic devices, along with other online conversations.

Gathered over a month, Judge Peter Davies described the evidence as the "tip of the iceberg".

'Shame and guilt'

Cass, of Yeathouse Road, admitted during interviews to having viewed indecent images and engaging in disturbing online conversations for six years.

He admitted attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed.

He also admitted making and distributing indecent images.

It was said in mitigation that Cass felt "shame and guilt" and had found the effect on his family "incredibly difficult to bear".