A deputy headteacher at a primary school in Wigan and her partner have been jailed for child sexual abuse offences. The two filmed themselves abusing and raping a girl.
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‘Human Depravity Knows No Depth’
Julie Morris, 44, pleaded guilty to 18 child sexual abuse offences, including two counts of rape, and was sentenced to 13 years and four months in jail. Together with her partner, David Morris, 52, they filmed themselves abusing the girl who was younger than 13 years.
In a series of videos, Julie could be heard giggling as they performed the depraved act, the Liverpool crown court heard. Sentencing the couple, the judge, Andrew Menary, said:
Every now and again you see cases the circumstances of which are almost beyond belief. This is one of those cases. It demonstrates that human depravity really knows no depths.
David Morris was found guilty of 34 offences of raping a child under thirteen, sexual activity with a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
He received a 16-year jail sentence and has been given indefinite sexual harm prevention orders together with his partner. The two will also sign the sex offender register for life.
Julie Morris also admitted to other charges including three counts of taking indecent images of a child, one of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and one of possessing indecent images of a child.
Sexually Explicit Communication
Prosecuting, John Wyn Williams, said the pair met on a dating app in 2016 separating from their partners and became ‘intensely sexual’ shortly after. He said:
The communication between them became graphic and depraved, which led to some of their sexual fantasies becoming a reality.
David Morris was arrested on 2 September and had his devices seized while being sent away with a caution. The court heard that the devices showed the recordings of rape and sexual abuse.
They were arrested the following day at an address in Hindley, Wigan. Merseyside police said:
The couple were found to be in possession of £10,000 in cash and their camper van was packed with their belongings, indicating that they were about to abscond.
Police pored through 175,000 pages of sexually explicit messages between the two. The court heard that the pair had created a group chat with the victim, in which they would talk about the ways in which she would be abused by them.
DCI Bev Hyland said:
These extremely serious offences committed by Julie and David Morris have had a devastating impact on the victims and their families.
