Nursery worker guilty of child sex crimes jailed

A 20-year-old woman who worked at a children's nursery has been given a four-year prison sentence after admitting a series of online child sex offences.

Zara Lancashire of Datchworth Turn, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was jailed on Thursday at St Albans Crown Court after she admitted 11 offences including making and distributing indecent child images and publishing obscene articles at an earlier hearing.

Lancashire, who worked at Flower Pots Day Nursery in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, was not charged with any offences relating to children in her care.

Judge Lana Wood said Lancashire was "actively involved" in a "network" of people who facilitated the sharing of indecent images.

The Crown Prosecution Service said "making" an image included opening an email attachment or downloading a website image.

Lancashire, who appeared at the hearing via a video link from HMP Peterborough, wore her brown hair in pigtails - one tied with a pink ribbon and one with a blue ribbon.

Judge Lana also imposed a 30-year sexual harm prevention order.

Barrister Harry Laidlaw, prosecuting, told the judge that Lancashire had been arrested in September.

Laidlaw said her offences were revealed after a man she was in contact with online was arrested.

He said she had distributed category A images - the most serious category - four times.

One featured a child who appeared to be aged under two being sexually abused.

She had been in contact with people who used usernames including "Mr Bad" and "Pervert", the judge was told.

Laidlaw said Lancashire had been in possession of more than 150 images - 113 of which were category A.

He said she had, in messages, claimed to have abused children in her care - but had not been charged with any offences relating to children in her care.

Laidlaw said Lancashire had been given safeguarding training and told the judge: "She was more aware than the normal person of abuse - she was more aware of safeguarding."

The judge heard that Lancashire's parents had separated when she was nine - and that her relationship with her mother had been "difficult".

Barrister Madeleine Wolfe, who represented Lancashire, said she had reacted to the attention she was getting online.

Wolfe told the judge: "This was a relatively young, naive girl who got herself in a situation."

She said Lancashire's messages were "disgraceful" but added: "Despite her working with young people, there were no contact offences."

Judge Wood said the nature of Lancashire's offences suggested that she had difficulty with "impulse control" and "sexual preoccupation".

"In my judgment your offending, looked at as a whole, does demonstrate that you are, as of today's date, dangerous," said the judge.

"There is, I find, a significant risk that you will commit further... offences."

She told Lancashire: "You claimed to have abused children in your care. Fortunately it appears that those assertions had no truth behind them."

Det Insp Fay Tooley, from Hertfordshire Police, said: "Lancashire has been brought to justice for the offences she committed, and while our investigation found they didn't involve the physical abuse of children, they are still of an extremely serious nature."

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.