Foster carers jailed for child abuse

A gay couple who worked as foster carers have been jailed for sexually abusing young boys in their care.

Craig Faunch, 32, was jailed for six years, while his partner Ian Wathey was sentenced to five years, at Leeds Crown Court on Friday.

The couple, from Pontefract in West Yorkshire, were found guilty of a series of sex offences last month.

Faunch was convicted of two counts of making indecent images of a child. The court heard how he filmed two naked eight-year-old boys in a shower, with a camcorder.

He was also charged with four counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.

Wathey was also found guilty of four charges of sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy, as well as one charge of encouraging a child to watch sexual activity in the form of a gay porn video.

However, he was cleared of two charges of sexual activity with a child.

The men, who had never been in trouble with the police before, had been approved to work as foster carers in July 2003 by Wakefield Council.

At sentencing, Judge Sally Cahill QC said that neither man had shown any empathy, remorse or responsibility for their actions.

Defence barristers had claimed that the allegations were "bizarre", "incredible" and unfounded.

(KMcA/SP)