Five people, including a woman and a serving soldier, have been found guilty of offences relating to an international child abuse ring at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Melissa Noon, 30, helped run the paedophile ring with her partner, Robert Hathaway, 36, by arranging for contacts she made via a nudist website to sexually abuse children.

During the case, Noon, originally from Portsmouth, was accused of subjecting several children to abuse, including rape, attempted rape and the use of sex aids. Police seized more than 20 sex aids from Noon and Hathaway, the trial heard.

Throughout the trial, Noon denied the 12 charges against her.

Soldier Daniel Bell, 26, of Emsworth, Hampshire, was also found guilty of charges relating to child sex offences, along with Simon Hilton, 29, of London, Mark Day, 45, of Kent and John Maddox, 46, of Essex.

As well as the defendants convicted in court, a further four have already pleaded guilty to their part in the paedophile ring. Ringleader Robert Hathaway, 36, of Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to 45 offences. Stephen Fraser, 41, of Cambridge, admitted 27 charges.

Lee Parson, 38, of Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to one charge of arranging a child sex offence, three charges of possessing indecent photos of children and one of taking indecent photos of children.

Jonathan Garner-Harris, 37, a teacher, who lived in Marrick, North Yorkshire, was investigated by Durham police and pleaded at Durham Crown Court for 20 offences. He is to be sentenced alongside the other convicted defendants at Portsmouth at a later date.