A “TRULY despicable” paedophile sexually abused a toddler after he and his girlfriend had planned for her to be alone with him.

Newport couple Michael Colmer, 45, and Shannon Vicary, 24, were condemned by a judge at Cardiff Crown Court.

Colmer was jailed for more than 17 years while Vicary’s sentence was adjourned for the preparation of psychological reports.

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Colmer: “This case reveals behaviour by you and Shannon Vicary of an almost unimaginable level of depravity.

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“You are a truly despicable human being.

"No one can yet assess the level of damage done to your victim.

“You pose a considerable risk of danger to young children."

The judge added: “You admitted that you were sexually interested in children and fantasised about committing acts on children.

“Shannon Vicary may not have been interested in children.

“She was however plainly anxious to assist in the gratification of your sexual desires.

“You planned these offences and were encouraging each other.”

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said Colmer had filmed the assaults on his iPad.

He told the court: “There were messages between the couple in which they were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to abuse the child.

“She was extremely vulnerable due to her youth and there was a significant degree of planning.”

The victim’s mother told of how: “This has devastated me and my family.”

When Colmer was arrested, police also found hundreds of child abuse images.

Colmer, of Church Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

He also admitted making indecent images of children, having 187 at category A, the most serious kind, 187 at category B and 277 at category C.

Vicary, also of Church Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Nigel Fryer, mitigating for Colmer, said: “It may sound trite but he does apologise for his behaviour.

“He recognises he has a serious problem and understands these are frankly disgusting offences.”

His barrister asked for his client’s guilty pleas to be taken into consideration and said the defendant was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Colmer was handed an extended jail sentence for the public protection of 17 years and four months.

Outside the court, the officer in the case DC Chloe Collins said: "I welcome the sentence given today.

"This was a complex and very sensitive investigation due the nature of the offending and I am grateful for the work of our cybercrime unit and Caerphilly social services throughout.

"I hope that the result today goes some way to offer some comfort to the child involved and her family.

"They have shown such resilience in what has been an extremely difficult and upsetting time for them."