Paedophiles who watched Lancashire man's vile online streams rewarded abuse victims with "stickers and emojis"

Mark Hughes, 28, directed and instructed youngsters in Lancashire and across the globe as he viewed and recorded the sickening abuse from his West Lancashire home.

He also sent sickening messages to children as young as six.

One vile video, streamed on a social media site called Live.Me, featured two girls aged between six and eight, who were encouraged to expose themselves - and attracted more than 100 live viewers.

Another abuse stream had 1,200 watchers by the end.

Older girls were encouraged to use bottles, hairbrushes and toothbrushes in the “real time child abuse”.

One of his 10 victims - who were all aged between six and 15 - had learning difficulties.

Judge Philip Parry, sitting at Preston Crown Court, imposed an extended sentence of 11 years with a three year licence period, and told him: “The more they were abused - the longer they remained online to be abused - the more likely they were to be rewarded.

“You are, in my judgement, a very dangerous man.”

He also criticised a probation report which suggested a community order as a suitable punishment, and branded a letter Hughes had written on the day of his sentence was “pathetic”.

Hughes admitted nine counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, six of making indecent images, and one of possessing an extreme image.

Police found Hughes had been in touch with more than 60 young girls online.