Ray Carrington, who ran an after-school club for children through his local church has been jailed for four years for a string of sickening offences against youngsters.

Carrington, 40, "betrayed his Christian faith" by sexually assaulting four girls aged between four and eight and also took several indecent photos of the girls using a mobile phone and a camera.

Carrington, of Grosvenor Terrace, Bootham, York, befriended the girls' mothers and used this as an excuse to be alone with the youngsters and commit the sickening offences - which occurred over a two-year period.

The court heard Carrington's victims were not members of the after-school club, but he had "abused his position" to access the girls.

York Crown Court was told he was only caught when one of the children made a complaint to her friend's mother.

The appalled parent told the girls' mother and the police were then called.

Officers also found other sexual images of children on his computer that he had downloaded - including pictures graded as "most serious".

Sentencing Carrington at York Crown Court yesterday, Recorder of York Judge Stephen Ashurst said: "Until the discovery of your unpleasant offences you were thought to be a man of faith.

"But it appears you had been behaving in a hypocritical way for some time.

"You betrayed your Christian faith and it is clear you have caused enormous distress. You engineered situations that allowed you to film or photograph the girls because you derived some enjoyment from them.

"Had your offences not come to light they may have got worse. There was a degree of premeditation and planning, what happened was carefully choreographed by you.

"I have had the misfortune of viewing these images. Any decent parent would be shocked by the vulnerability of the girls in them."

Prosecuting, Timothy Stead told the court Carrington had been an active member of a local church and took particular interest in an afternoon kids' club and drama club.

His offending began in August 2005 when he became friends with the mother of a four-year-old girl.

He had taken her to his bedroom after she had been playing in a paddling pool, but set up a camera to take an indecent video of her. He then began to sexually assault her.

In the summer of 2006, he took indecent photographs of a five-year-old girl who had visited his house.

In October that year, he assaulted an eight-year-old girl who he had again enticed to his home.

His final offence was in August 2007, when he filmed another five-year-old girl. She complained and Carrington, who worked as a dental technician, was arrested.

Defending, Nicholas Barker said: "He has shown a good deal of contrition for the offending, and is of previous good character.

"He is very sorry for the upset and harm he has caused to all parties involved in these matters.

"Because of these offences, his family life has dissolved as his wife has sought a divorce from him. He is now excluded from the church and has also lost his job."

Carrington had previously admitted two offences of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, one charge of sexual activity with a child and five charges of taking indecent photographs of a child.

He had also pleaded guilty to six counts relating to making and possessing indecent photographs of a child.

He was jailed for four years for the sexual offences and 12 months for possessing the photographs. Both terms will run concurrently.

Judge Ashurst also handed Carrington a sexual offences prevention order banning him from unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 and disqualified him from working with children for ten years. He will also have to sign the sex offenders' register.

Police statement

SPEAKING after the sentence, the investigating officer in the case, DC Nicky Hancock of York CID said: "We are pleased with the outcome at court and the sentence given.

"It has been extremely harrowing for everyone involved especially for the families concerned and his victims.

"We hope this sentence will bring closure for the families and they will be able to get on with their lives.

"We have no evidence to suggest there are any further victims involved as a thorough investigation has been conducted."