A paedophile sexually preyed on three young girls to satisfy his "deviant sexual desires" a court heard.
John Blake, of Pine Grove Chester, was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life after being sentenced on Friday, April 16.
Blake, 61, and his partner Emmalene Jones, 31, were both convicted following a 10 day trial at Chester Crown Court in November 2020.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
All the abuse is said to have happened in the Chester and Saltney Ferry area over a period of eight years.
During the sentencing hearing, His Honour Judge Everett described Blake as a "sexual monster" with "deviant sexual desires, who preyed on three young children".
He stated that he was a "high risk to children" and said that his "dreadful behaviour towards children had serious consequences and had ruined the lives of the three witnesses."
When sentencing Jones, Judge Everett said that although she "was under the influence of Blake, that she did her best to encourage the children to take part in the sexual acts".
Blake was sentenced to 26 years in prison after he was found guilty of 14 counts of sexually abusing three children.
Keep up to date with what's going on in your area by entering your postcode below
Jones, of Crabwell Place, Chester, was jailed for two years after she was found guilty of two counts of causing a child to take part in a sexual act.
She was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Jessica Barlow, from Cheshire Constabulary Crime Operations Unit, said: “This case relied upon the bravery of three young women, who had the courage to come forward to the police with the sole purpose of protecting other children.
“I want to personally thank them and commend them for speaking out despite fearing the consequences.
“What Blake and Jones did to them is truly horrifying, they systematically abused the girls over a number of years in order to fulfil their own sexual gratification.
“While Jones was not directly involved in all of the offences, she was well aware of what Blake was doing and was complicit in his actions.
“Not only that, but the pair made the victims endure a trial and recount what they had done to them, which was extremely distressing.
"But thanks to the bravery and courage of all three victims, the pair are now facing the consequences of their actions.
“Following the conclusion of this case I hope that the victims feel empowered by having their voices heard, and that they can now begin to heal and move forward with their lives.”
