A paedophile couple who filmed themselves sexually abusing young children, including a one-year-old baby, have been jailed for more than 21 years. Mark Gable, 33, was arrested after police discovered a clip of him molesting an infant during a search of his home in Colchester, Essex. They subsequently found a number of others that had been shot by his 27-year-old girlfriend Jessica Fry. She also featured in a video showing a sex attack on a child. The pair, both from Colchester, admitted a catalogue of ‘horrific’ child sex offences committed between 2017 and 2019 at Chelmsford Crown Court during an earlier hearing in September. Gable was jailed for 11-and-a-half years and his partner was jailed for 10 years.
The court heard the couple had been entrusted to care for some of their victims by their parents. Gable pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by penetration of a child, one count of sexual assault of a child, four counts of taking indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images of children. Fry admitted one count of assault by penetration of a child, one count of sexual assault of a child, three counts of taking indecent images of children and two of distributing indecent images of children.
Detective Constable Jeanine Atkins-Calver, of Essex Police, said: ‘Mark Gable and Jessica Fry are dangerous and methodical paedophiles. ‘Gable and Fry worked together to not only abuse very young children, but also documented that abuse for their own gratification. ‘Their crimes are horrific. To subject anyone to sexual abuse is abhorrent but when that victim is so young it is unimaginable. ‘They are a danger to the public and I am pleased they both now face a significant time behind bars.’
Meyrem Flint, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: ‘Mark Gable and Jessica Fry worked together to exploit children for their own gratification. ‘This was planned, predatory behaviour targeting young children and the pair were determined to conceal their sickening crimes. ‘We would like to pay tribute to the bravery and strength shown by the children and their families and we hope that today’s result brings a sense of peace.’
