Three members of an international paedophile ring, including one from Rainham, are to be sentenced for their part in the abuse of two young British children.

Five people were jailed last month at Portsmouth Crown Court for their role in the group which used a nudist website as a cover for their perversions.

This included ringleader Robert Hathaway, 37, of Tyseley Road, Portsmouth, who was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence of 12 years and his partner Melissa Noon, 30, who received four years.

The three men to be sentenced are John Maddox, 47, of Ellis Avenue, Rainham; Mark Day, 45, of Whitefriars Meadow, Sandwich, Kent; and soldier Daniel Bell, 27, who lives in military accommodation but was previously of St James Road, Emsworth, Hampshire.

Maddox was convicted of a charge of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing indecent photographs of children.

Day was found guilty at trial of one charge of arranging a child sex offence. The judge had ordered a not guilty verdict to be ordered on a second similar charge against Day.

Bell was found guilty of two charges of possessing indecent photos of children and one of attempting to distribute an indecent image of children.

Hampshire Police launched their investigation into the ring after being tipped off by the authorities in Australia who had uncovered a “mirror image” ring in Brisbane and Sydney which also abused at least one young child.

A total of 2,000 pages of chat logs were uncovered by police, as well as 14,000 indecent images of children and 300 videos of children being abused.