AN EX-Naval officer who admitted photographing young children as he sexually abused them, and then sending the images to other paedophiles, has been jailed for 14 years.
Geoffrey Rooney, aged 39, of Camperdown Street, Devonport, pleaded guilty to a string of offences including the rape of a child aged under 13 and sexually assaulting girl aged under 13.
Appearing at Plymouth Crown Court, Rooney made no response as Judge Paul Darlow told the former Chief Petty Officer he had caused the “destruction of a happy home life” in relation to the family of two of his victims.
He said that Rooney’s actions “demonstrate all the casual callous depravity of a predatory paedophile”.
As Rooney, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and grey tie, stood in the dock, prosecutor Jason Beale told the court how the former weapons engineer was arrested following the arrest of another man on January 9 last year whose wife found indecent pictures on his mobile phone.
The images were traced to Rooney who had asked the man to bring his own children to him for sexual abuse.
Rooney was interviewed and his mobile phone seized. The 39-year-old immediately admitted to his sexual interest in children and downloading indecent images of young children.
The court heard Rooney had pleaded guilty last May to raping a girl aged under 13, sexually assaulting another girl aged under 13, taking indecent photos of children, making indecent photos of children, distributing indecent photos of children with other suspected paedophile, sexually assaulting a boy aged under 16 and possessing indecent images of children.
Mr Beale explained how police discovered that Rooney had messaged other men “giving real time commentary” as he sexually abused one of the girls and sent nine pictures to dozens of men of him raping and sexually abusing the youngest child.
The court heard Rooney had also taken pictures of the backside of another very young boy and forwarded them onto other suspected paedophiles.
Police found hundreds of indecent photos and films on his mobile phone, ranging from category A, the most depraved including penetrative sexual activity with a child, including sadism and bestiality, to category C, the least indecent.
In mitigation, Nick Lewin, for Rooney, claimed his client was remorseful, but he questioned the current “harm” caused to the children due to their very young age.
In reply, Judge Darlow said: “For the moment, [but] who knows what may come back to haunt them.”
He also noted how Rooney had volunteered most of the offences to police, had no previous convictions and argued he should be credited for his “exemplary behaviour in service of the Royal Navy.”
Mr Lewin said Rooney had carried out a number of courses while in prison, and held a “very significant trusted position” as a “mentor” and “listener” to prison ‘lifers’.
He also said the offences – an “isolated aberration” – took place over a very short space of time and the judge could sentence Rooney “safe in the knowledge that these are isolated incidents”.
Sentencing Rooney, Judge Darlow said that “taken collectively, those actions demonstrate all the casual callous depravity of a predatory paedophile”.
He said the father “had the courage and grace” to read out his victim impact statement which revealed the “destruction of a happy home life”. He said each parent now “lives with the burden if either of the girls will find out or need to be told.”
He sentenced Rooney to 14 years for the rape, with the other offences carrying lesser sentences, to run concurrently.
He also made Rooney subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, barred him from working with children or vulnerable adults, made him subject of a restraining order and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Rooney was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120.
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