Berko man 'centre of paedophile network' gets more jail time

A man from Berkhamsted at the 'centre of a paedophile network' was sentenced to 12 more years in jail today (1st May).

Michael Emerton, 34, from Berkhamsted, was at the centre of a paedophile ring in which he streamed the live abuse of children via a video link and took part in sex acts in front of them.

He was sentenced in December 2017 by Judge Michael Kay QC who was so appalled by Emerton's offences that they undermined his faith in humanity.

At the earlier hearing Emerton admitted twenty offences including:

• four rapes of a child
• three of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Further offences he admitted were:

• conspiracy to rape a child
• conspiracy to commute sexual activity with a child or engage in sexual activity with a child.

Today (1st May) he appeared at St Albans crown court via a video link from Parkhurst Jail on the Isle of Wight.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiring to rape a child aged 5 to 8 and two of conspiring to have sexual activity with a child aged 5 to 8.

The latest offences came to light after further police investigations on chat rooms and internet sites he had used.

He was already serving ten life sentences.

Judge Kay passed concurrent sentences of 12 years and 4 years.

Referring to the offences, he said:

"The sense of shock one feels is beyond words."

At the sentencing hearing in December 2017, the judge said:

"Even within this field of appalling and sickening abuse, there is from time to time a case which is so shocking that it undermines one's faith in humanity. This is one such case.

"Never before have I read a police summary of a case which begins with a warning that the reader should be very wary of the content due to the abhorrent nature of the offending."