A PAEDOPHILE couple who admitted sexually abusing young children, including a baby, have been jailed for a total of more than 21 years.

Mark Gable was arrested in May after officers found a video of him sexually assaulting a baby during a search of his home.

A number of other images and videos were discovered which also depicted Gable sexually assaulting children.

Through their investigations officers identified that Gable’s girlfriend, 27 year-old Jessica Fry, had filmed the video as well as a number of the other images and videos.

Officers further discovered a video which showed Fry also sexually assaulting a child.

The offences are believed to have taken place between 2017 and 2019.

The pair were both charged and appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on September 2 where they pleaded guilty to a string of offences.

Gable, 33, of Edward Paxman Gardens, Colchester admitted 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, also of Edward Paxman Gardens, admitted to 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, two counts of distributing indecent images of children.

At Chelmsford Crown Court today (Friday) Gable was jailed for 11 and a half years followed by a further eight on licence while Fry was sentenced to 10 years.

Gable has been considered a dangerous offender so will have to serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for release.

They have both been put on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jeanine Atkins-Calver, from the North Child Abuse Investigation Team, 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.”

Detective Inspector Lisa Norcott, also from the North Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “I would like to thank the families of the children involved and the strength they have shown throughout this distressing investigation.

“I would also like to praise the tenacity of the POLIT officer DC Rob Armstrong and the hard work from DC Atkins–Calver and DC Carley Parodi from the North CAIT team for their diligence in ensuring that that both suspects had no choice but to plead guilty and in turn ensure that the suspects could not have access to other small children.”