Alain Collings

Alain Collings, a 39-year-old man from near Tiverton in Devon, orchestrated the sexual abuse of children and toddlers in the Philippines from his home in the UK. Operating through Skype, Collings paid women he knew in Manila a total of £33,000 to abuse up to 46 young victims, including girls aged between two and fifteen years. He directed the abuse in real-time by typing instructions to the women, deriving sexual gratification from watching the acts unfold online.

Police investigations uncovered 102 hours of recorded abuse material across 261 videos and nearly 2,000 indecent photographs stored on Collings' devices. The material included two images from 2011 showing Collings himself abusing a two-year-old child. Devon and Cornwall Police identified him through monitoring of websites accessed via his IP address, where he was downloading child abuse images. To confirm his involvement, detectives consulted an anatomy professor who matched distinctive features such as his hands, jewellery, and a tattoo on his arm in the footage.

Collings, residing on Chapple Road in Witheridge, Devon, admitted to a series of serious offences at Exeter Crown Court, including two counts of sexual assault on a child, five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of arranging sexual offences against children, and seven counts of making or possessing indecent images of children. The case came to light through proactive online monitoring by law enforcement, highlighting the international reach of such crimes.

During sentencing on Friday at Exeter Crown Court, Recorder David Bartlett described the behaviour as 'abhorrent' and stated: 'This is if not the worst then one of the worst cases I have ever come across. For you to take sexual delight from watching the abuse of children in the Philippines seems to be quite dreadful. It is behaviour that is abhorrent to a civilised society for which you must be punished. It is quite clear these girls suffered physical pain and psychological harm which will affect them in the future.' The judge imposed an 18-year custodial sentence, reflecting the severity of the exploitation and the profound harm inflicted on the victims.

The prosecution was handled by Devon and Cornwall Police, with the court proceedings reported by the BBC based on details from HM Courts and Tribunals Service.