A "depraved" former police inspector who led a double life encouraging internet paedophiles to sexually assault children was jailed today for 30 months.
Geraint Lloyd Evans, 48, was suspended and later sacked by South Wales Police after he admitted the charge against him.
The former inspector, who lived at addresses in Barry and Coychurch, Bridgend, was a highly respected officer commended for bravery.
But he was roundly condemned by a judge today who, jailing Evans, described him as having lived a "lie clothed in respectability".
Evans admitted a single charge of encouraging others to sexually assault a child under 13, back in October.
He also admitted possessing 179 images of extreme pornography He was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court today with three others who were all guilty of an identical charge.
Evans used internet chatrooms to contact paedophiles who encouraged him, and were encouraged themselves, to carry out depraved acts.
Judge Paul Thomas accepted that neither Evans nor the other three men actually ever put their fantasies into practice.
But he said a negative side of the internet was that "sick-minded individuals like you four can get easily in touch and fuel and encourage each other's depravity".
Evans was jailed today along with Leslie Asser, 54, from Ross-on-Wye, and Wayne Barnes, 50, from Neath.
Asser received a 30-month jail term and Barnes one of 27 months.
Both had already admitted encouraging others to commit sexual assault on a child under 13.
Also present was Keith Bold, 47, formerly from Neath Abbey, who was already serving a 28-month sentence for having more than 6,000 images and 181 movie clips of child abuse on his computer.
He received an additional 18-month sentence.
The court heard today that it was a raid on his home which triggered the police investigation which finally caught Evans.
John Hipkin, prosecuting, said "worrying conversations" were discovered on Bold's home computer.
At the time the other parties were anonymous and it took months of work for police to track down who the others were.
Among the conversations was one between Bold and Evans in which Bold expressed a wish to have "young to play with".
Evans answers: "My mate has some pervy mates who could oblige but only once they know you're genuine."