A CHILDREN’S outdoor activities centre manager who pretended to be a woman to gain acceptance into an international paedophile ring has been jailed for four years.

Jonathan Garner-Harris, a former deputy director of the Marrick Priory centre, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, claimed to be a woman with two daughters aged 12 and 14 in order to be accepted as a member of a nudist website which encouraged child abuse.

Garner-Harris, 37, was investigated by Durham Police and pleaded guilty at Durham Crown Court to 20 offences.

His case was transferred to Portsmouth Crown Court where he was sentenced by Judge Roger Hetherington who heard a trial involving other members of the ring which abused two young children.

Garner-Harris was yesterday jailed for four years for three charges of inciting a child sex offence and four months for each of 17 counts relating to indecent photographs of children. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The court was told that Garner- Harris, who appeared by videolink, was involved in internet chat with ringleader Robert Hathaway during which he encouraged the Portsmouth-based offender to abuse the two young children.

Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, told the court that Garner-Harris used computers at his parents’ home in Chester-le-Street, and also at Marrick Priory, to carry out the explicit chat and to look at indecent images.

She said: “Like others involved, he used the guise of being interested in nudism to keep in contact with people who had similar sexual interest in children. This quickly turned to sexually explicit conversations about children.”

Garner-Harris told police he had been acting out a fantasy and had not intended to hurt anyone, added Ms Maylin.

Amanda Rippon, defending, said: “He is a man who has devastated his good character.

“He was extremely well thought of, not only in his community but in his church.

“His family has been absolutely devastated by this and he is acutely aware of the misery he has heaped on their heads.”

Sentencing Garner-Harris, Judge Hetherington said: “I accept that Robert Hathaway needed no specific encouragement from you to commit these sort of offences, but your part in fuelling his offending in these chats was, along with others, an important contribution towards the abuse of these two young children.”

The managment board at Marrick Priory said the manager was suspended as soon as they became aware of the allegations. He later resigned.

A spokesman added: “We would like to assure schools and youth groups that Marrick continues to operate as normal with our large and dedicated staff teams which conform with best practice and national safeguarding guidelines.”