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A pedophile couple who drugged and abused their young children, sometimes during swingers’ sex sessions that were recorded, have been handed the longest jail sentences ever imposed in WA for child sex offences.

The 41-year-old mother of the children was given a sentence of 28 years, while her 47-year-old partner was given 26 years in prison.

The couple, who cannot be named to protect the identity of their victims, pleaded guilty to a string of offences, some of which cannot be reported at this time.

The District Court was told the couple, who were members of the swingers’ scene, were in a de facto relationship, but the woman’s two young children regarded the man as their father and called him “dad”.

The woman was also a prostitute and worked from the family home.

She will have to serve 26 years and he must serve 24 years before they will be eligible for release on parole.

‘Depraved’ recordings saved children from abusers

The couple’s crimes came to light in 2018 when a member of the public found a memory card containing two recordings in a short-term rental property and handed it in to police.

The recordings, which were previously described by a judge as “depravity of the highest order”, showed the couple and other adult men repeatedly sexually abusing the woman’s daughter, who was then aged about eight.

The discovery led to the girl disclosing to police that she and her younger brother had been subjected to repeated abuse by their parents.

She was also forced to take part in sex sessions with other adults, including two separate occasions involving women she said were named “Claire” and “Jody”.

The sessions usually started with the watching of pornographic movies and sometimes involved the girl and her brother being given a “stupefying substance”, which it was believed was methylamphetamine.

Abuse began after a nightmare

The District Court was told the abuse started when the girl was aged about five and her brother three, and lasted for about four years.

The girl, who is now in her teens and watched Tuesday’s proceedings via video link in another location, said the first time it happened was after she had a nightmare and went to her parents’ bedroom seeking comfort.

Another occasion was on her seventh birthday, when the court was told the man said to her he “had a surprise” for her.

She was then abused by him, her mother and two other adult males.

WA Police officers executed search warrants at six properties in Perth and regional WA as part of the investigation. Photo: WA Police

As well as abusing his two stepchildren, the man admitted repeatedly molesting the two daughters he had from a previous relationship.

That abuse also happened when those girls were aged between four and seven.

‘You stole their innocence’

Judge Bruce Goetze described the couple’s crimes as “horrendous”, “depraved” and “perverted”, saying the couple had shown no regard “whatsoever” for their victims.

He said the recording of the then eight-year-old girl indicated she was familiar with what was happening.

“[The girl] is seen to be completely submissive. She was completely aware of what was going to happen and completely submissive,” he said.

“She was wholly corrupted into accepting this horrendous conduct as being normal. It is not. It is depraved and perverted.”

A police task force was formed to investigate the child sex abuse ring. Photo: WA Police

Judge Goezte said the crimes were an enormous breach of trust, as the couple had allowed other adults to offend against the children when, as their parents, they should have been protecting and caring for them.

Victim impact statements were provided by the man’s two biological daughters, one of whom said she felt “guilty” because, if the crimes against her had been dealt with, the man may not have gone on to commit the offences against his stepchildren.

But the judge said the victims should feel no shame nor guilt.

“They deserve our sympathy and respect for having emerged from the offending,” he said.

“They can hold their heads up high and be proud of themselves for their achievements.”

–ABC