Babysitter sexually abused toddler and shared videos with boyfriend

Paige Poole and Ross Kingsland were both sentenced in Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday, February 9 after both pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offenses including conspiracy to rape a child, making, and distributing indecent photos of a child.

29-year-old Poole, originally from the United States, moved to England in 2018 to marry an Englishman.

At an undisclosed time, she met 44-year-old Kingsland, a married father, on an "extreme fetish website" and the two began a relationship.

The two exchanged messages in which they discussed sexually abusing a one-year-old child, and even conspired to rape another young girl.  Some of those messages discussed a desire to have children together in order to abuse them.

Throughout the course of their conversations, Poole would detail her abuse of an 18-month-old through WhatsApp, and even sent videos where she was heard laughing in the background.

Kingsland called her "my Dark Angel" told told her, "You make my black heart so happy." He additionally stated that she was "on the same dark path," and they both agreed that they shared the "same black heart."

In July 2020 Kingsland was arrested.  He had made contact with an undercover officer online who was posing as the parent of two young girls ages 8 and 12 available for sexual abuse. A meeting was arranged, and Kingsland reportedly shared a video of a woman abusing a 5-year-old child which he claimed to have abused.

Kingsland was arrested at his home in Exeter.

The following day, Poole showed up on the doorstep of his home identifying herself as his girlfriend and inquiring as to his whereabouts.

Devon Live reports that she initially expressed shock about his behavior, but the façade collapsed when officers searched her cell phone and recovered videos that she had attempted to delete.

She was arrested in Staffordshire and a second cell phone was located which revealed still more evidence.

Poole pleaded guilty to 11 sexual assaults, conspiracy to assault a child, engaging in asexual activity with a child, taking indecent photos of a child, distributing indecent photos of a child and conspiracy to rape a child.

Poole, who claimed she never would have committed the abuse had she not met Kingsland and also claimed to have a personality disorder, was sentenced to 17 years.  She must serve 13 of those years before being eligible for serving the remaining four on extended license.

Kingsland pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assault a child under 13, aiding and abetting the sexual abuse of a child, conspiracy to rape a child, distributing indecent photos of a child and making indecent photos of a child.

He was sentenced to 15 years and must serve 11 before being eligible to serve the remaining four on extended license.

"You were both adults who knew what you were doing each and every step of the way," Judge David Evans said during the hearing. "Each chose to plan and enact their deviant desires. This was a true meeting of wicked minds."

"The bald truth is that each of you is a morally corrupt pedophile and it was a great misfortune of others that you found each other."

Detective Inspector Si Costin said, "This has been a very difficult investigation for everyone involved and one of the worst cases my team has dealt with. It has taken months of painstaking work including reviewing very upsetting images. The only satisfaction we can take is that the two offenders will be in prison for a long time and can't hurt anyone else.

"I hope this will also serve as a warning that the Paedophile Online Investigation Team are working proactively every day and if you are involved in child abuse we will detect you and the next knock on the door might be my team."