A MARTIAL arts instructor who sent 'revolting and disgusting' child pornography to an Israeli paedophile who was abusing his own daughter 'live' online has been jailed.

Preston Crown Court heard that Aron James Stacey's offending came to light as a result of a complex National Crime Agency investigation into the Israeli man which dated back to 2017.

Prosecuting, David Bentley said as a result of seizing that man's electronic devices, Israeli authorities discovered he had been contacted by 38-year-old Stacey over Skype.

Mr Bentley said it seemed Stacey had become aware of the Israeli man via a chat room used for people sharing indecent images of children.

The court heard Stacey had sent him an image of a man holding his genitals, before later sending him an indecent image of a child.

There was then a conversation about abusing a child in real-time.

Mr Bentley said police managed to trace Stacey via his Facebook page.

A search warrant was executed in September 2017 because officers were particularly concerned that because of a reference on the page to Aztec Martial Arts in Accrington that Stacey would have access to children.

When he was arrested Stacey told police: "This is a stitch-up."

Police seized a number of Stacey's electronic devices, including his Samsung mobile phone and an Asus computer and hard drive.

On the Samsung they found 11 category A indecent images - the most serious examples of child sexual abuse, one category B video, 27 category C images and one extreme pornographic image.

In his police interview answered 'no comment' to questions put to him but provided a prepared statement denying his guilt and saying the phone and computer had been purchased second hand.

Mr Bentley said requests were made by the police for Stacey to provide swipe patterns, passwords and PINs for his devices but he refused.

Three separate requests were also made by Stacey's solicitors for him to provide those access details, all of which he refused.

Stacey, of Queens Road West, Accrington, three charges of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent images, one of making an indecent image and one of failing to disclose access to an encrypted device.

Defending, Bob Elias said his client had been drinking alcohol and taking cocaine at the time he was engaging in this illegal activity and described it as a "fantasy crime". He said Stacey had ruined his life and lost his business as a result of his offending.

Mr Elias said: "These are abhorrent images that would cause feelings of revulsion or disgust in any right-thinking man or woman who saw them."

Sentencing Stacey to three years in prison, Judge David Potter added: "These images are revolting and disgusting. You did find them arousing in your own sexual perversion. These are very serious offences. So serious that only a an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate."

NCA operations manager Hazel Stewart said: “Offenders cannot hide behind encryption and evade justice.

“Behind every sexual abuse image is a child whose life has been utterly devastated and men like Stacey are perpetuating that suffering. Their horrible interest fuels the market in child sexual abuse."

Stacey was order to sign the sex offenders register for life and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order was made.