JAILED: The sick pervert who controlled worldwide child abuse from his bungalow in Bamber Bridge

As Hayes, 66, today begins an eight-year jail sentence, we can reveal that his vile activities lead to the abuse of children as far away as Africa.

He was finally stopped after Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a man who had engaged in lurid online char with Hayes.

At first Hayes, of Bleasedale Close, Bamber Bridge, claimed he had been a victim of a scam when he was confronted with his computer history, but later entered guilty pleas to 14 offences.

His offences included sending money to parents in impoverished countries around the world and persuading them to abuse their own children while filming it.

The married father, wearing glasses and a khaki green coat, was emotionless as he was jailed for eight years and nine months.

Judge Jacqueline Beech, sitting at Preston Crown Court, told him: “You procured a mother who purported to be in desperate circumstances to perform sex acts for money while allowing you to make lewd requests.

“You have a sexual interest in children and your criminality involved inciting children to engage in sexual activity or at the very least that is what you thought you were doing

She said records of his online chat history with children indicated he later went on a webcam to correspond with them, and told him his behaviour was “manipulative and amounted to grooming.”

She added his attempts to incite children into sexual activity were “disgusting and more reprehensible”.

She said: “You have recently suffered prostate cancer but this is not something that would cause the court to step back from custodial sentence. You pose a high risk of reconviction for sexual offences.”

The court heard he had used various chat rooms using applications predominantly used by children, and had been directed to children who would correspond with him by a fellow paedophile.

Police told the Evening Post Hayes was arrested as a result of information from Devon and Cornwall Police, in relation to the sharing and distribution of indecent images of children.

During the investigation officers uncovered images and videos of children in addition to a comprehensive amount of online chat documents show Hayes had been contacting children as young as 12 from various countries around the world.

His victims included a young African girl in Ghana.

Hayes admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in pornography.

Two charges, from January 2014 and December 2013, concern a 15-year-old. Another in January 2014 relates to a 14 year old boy.

An offence between January and February 2014 was committed against a 12 year old, and another, between January and May 2014, involved a 13-year-old girl.

Between March and June 2014, a 15-year-old boy fell victim.

Hayes also watched an eight-year-old girl being abused between September 2013 and April 2014.

He also admits distributing an indecent image of a Swedish boy being abused and distributing images of a nine-year-old on two occasions in January 2014.

Hayes admits further five counts of possessing indecent images and movies of children ranging from category A - the most serious - to C.

Today DC Ian Zanelli, officer in the case, said: “I would describe this as a harrowing case which is particularly vile in nature due to the repeated lengths via online chat rooms the defendant would go to in order to locate potential child victims.

“This case is clearly aggravated by the fact Mr Hayes facilitated the abuse of children live via the internet for his own pleasure and with at least one victim even sent money to an African country to request the abuse take place for his personal viewing.”

He was given an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order restricting his internet use and contact with under 16s.