Businessmen jailed for child sex attacks
Two successful businessmen who sexually abused a young girl have been jailed by a judge.
Scott Cordner and Robert Dunn met in an internet chat room and after exchanging 'disgusting' messages about sexual offences against children, did it for real.
Cordner also sexually abused a second girl and after being released on bail, continued to download indecent images of children from the internet.
Cordner, aged 42, of Ferrers Road, Yoxall, Staffordshire, was jailed for a total of six years at Stafford Crown Court after admitting sexual activity with the first youngster, three charges of sexually assaulting the other girl and nine counts of making indecent images of children
Co-accused Dunn, aged 47, formerly of Windmill Bank, Gentleshaw, Staffordshire, now of The Parks, Trentham, Stoke on Trent, was jailed for a total of 32 months.
He admitted sexual activity with the first girl and five offences of making indecent images of children.
Judge Mark Eades told them: "You both have a dark secret - you are both attracted to young girls. It's easy to hide that secret in the privacy of your own home, behind your computer. It seems harmless but it's not.
"The evil doesn't stop there, the more you view these pictures, the easier it is to persuade yourself it's really not so bad, that most people talk about it in internet chat rooms.
"Some of the disgusting conversations you two had on the internet have been read out, horrible conversations dealing with horrible acts.
"The trouble with that is it can lead to the execution of those acts, which is what happened in this case.
"After the balloon went up, you Cordner were released on bail and you reverted to type."
Mr Nicholas Cartwright, prosecuting, said both defendants were married family men holding down work in respectable occupations.
They met on the internet exchanging messages which saw them discuss young girls.
The offences against the first girl came to light when Cordner's wife was using her husband's computer in January last year and found his conversations with Dunn.
The second case came to light when another girl reported to Childline that she had been sexually assaulted.
After being arrested Cordner told police the conversations with Dunn had started out as just 'fantasy'.
Cordner was released on bail, but police investigations into another internet paedophile led them to discovering Cordner was still downloading child pornography.
He was re-arrested and questioned in April this year.
Miss Laura Pitman, for Cordner, said: "He was a man of previous good character and a businessman. He appeared to have everything you could hope for, but he then disturbed not only his own life, but also his wife's.
Mr Rupert Lowe, for Dunn, said:"He does feel genuine remorse, not only for what he's done but also for others who have been affected. As to why it happened, I can't give an explanation and don't seek to. It was an escalating internet chat which led to the activity."
