Babysitter Jailed for Handing Toddler to Known Paedophile to Rape in Her Flat

A babysitter in Cardiff has been jailed for 16 years today for handing a defenceless three-year-old boy to a known paedophile, who drugged and raped him in her flat.

Claire Semmens, 28, admitted to causing a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images at Cardiff Crown Court. Aaron Hughes, 32, was jailed for life for the attacks, which he filmed on his mobile phone so that he could watch them again on his computer.

Police discovered the horrifying images during a routine check on his computer to see whether he had broken a court order by downloading child pornography.

Semmens was a professional babysitter who regularly looked after boys aged between three and six at her flat.

Known sex offender

The court heard that she became close friends with Hughes and his boyfriend Hamish Morgan when they moved into the flat next door.

She became sexually attracted to Hughes' gay lover Morgan, and in order to distract Hughes, she kept Hughes happy by supplying him with a room and a young boy.

Semmens admitted that she had known that he was a registered child sex offender who had been banned from having any contact with children.

Prosecutor Laurence Jones said: "The rapes were carried out at separate times - but both were on the same boy and they happened in Semmens' bedroom.

"Semmens not only supplied the boy but provided a room which enabled Hughes to commit the act and film it in a relatively safe haven.

"She was trying to satisfy Hughes's perversions for young male children. Aaron Hughes had to be kept happy so she would supply him with a young boy."

Horrendous offences

Prosecutors say that Semmens had also developed a taste for child pornography and images were found on her laptop computer, including images of the bare bottoms of two other boys that Semmens had babysat for.

"These were genuinely horrendous offences which include the rape of a young child who was three years old," said Judge Phillip Richards during sentencing.

"It almost defies belief that any human being would do such a thing to such an innocent young child. Each of you are going to spend a long time in prison before you see the light of day again."

Both Hughes and Semmens will be on the sex offenders register for life and barred from working with children. Hughes will only be considered for parole after serving 12 years in prison.