A TRIO of would-be Barrow sex offenders who shared plans to drug and rape babies via WhatsApp have been released from jail after serving a fraction of their sentence, The Mail can exclusively reveal.

Kevin Barnett suggested drugging youngsters so he could enact his sick desires and his wife Susan said she would be willing to comfort a child as it was raped.

The pair, then both 28, were found guilty of arranging the commission of a child sexual offence and a second woman, Nikita Moore, 22, was convicted of conspiracy to commit child sexual offences with Barnett.

Moore, of St Vincent Street in Barrow, had even discussed having a baby with Barnett for them to abuse together - although prosecutors conceded this particular horrific exchange was just fantasy.

The 22-year-old was sending messages to Barnett saying she thought about sexually abusing children "all the time" when sick exchanges between the married couple were still continuing.

Moore began an affair with Barnett shortly after the death of her long term partner Jason Baines, who killed himself in October 2013.


The 22-year-old, originally from Birmingham, said the two had indulged in 'unconventional' sexual practices.

Their relationship ended in early 2014 when Moore discovered Barnett was also having an affair with another woman.

After admitting the affair to Mrs Barnett, Moore said the two women had become 'really close' and began living together in Barrow.

But Moore continued to secretly exchange messages with Kevin Barnett discussing underage sex and sharing indecent images of children.

Summing up the case, Judge Christopher Cornwell told the jury: 'You have heard the text exchange which at times no doubt disgusted you. We could go on and on with the disgust but the central question never goes away. Was there a conclusive agreement and was there an agreement that it should be put into action?'

Moore and Kevin Barnett had previously pleaded guilty to offences relating to indecent images of children.


Mrs Barnett had also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornography depicting sex with animals.

Detectives were able to stop the would-be child abusers after a stroke of luck when officers were called to a domestic disturbance between Barnett, of Barnfield Lane, and a woman unrelated to the case.

Officers examined his phone after a tip off and the three defendants were arrested after detectives trawled through the sick messages.

All three had denied the charges but were found guilty after a two-week trial at Preston Crown Court.

In February 2015, Kevin Barnett was jailed for six years, Susan Barnett was jailed for four and-a-half years and Moore, now known as Nicola Williams, was jailed for four years.

Despite their lengthy sentences, and being convicted after a trial, The Mail understands all three have now been released from prison.


Kevin Barnett was spotted in Barrow at the end of last month but police have confirmed all three are not believed to be in the Barrow area now.

A prisoner serving a fixed-term sentence is normally released automatically halfway through their sentence. If the offence was committed before 2005 and the sentence was for four or more years they will need to apply for parole.

The decision to grant parole is made by a panel, who consider a convict's behaviour in prison, how likely they are to re-offend or if they are a danger to public or any medical, psychiatric and psychological evidence.

Once granted parole, an offender is released on probation, and must comply with various conditions including regular offender management meetings or unpaid work.

All three will also be on the Sex Offenders' Register.

What is the Sex Offenders' Register?

The sex offenders register contains the details of anyone convicted, cautioned or released from prison for a sexual offence since September 1997, when it was set up.

All convicted sex offenders must register with the police, in person, within three days of their conviction, or release from prison. They must continue this registration on an annual basis.

They must give their name, date of birth, home address and national insurance number.

Anyone getting a jail term of 30 months to life is subject to an indefinite term of registration.

A sentence of six months to 30 months sees the offender get 10 years on the register and a sentence of under six months requires registration of up to seven years.

It is not limited only to offences against children.

How many people are on the register?

There were 49,466 registered sex offenders in the UK as of 31 March 2015, the BBC reports.

There were 88,106 police recorded sexual offences in the year ending March 2015, an increase of 37 per cent compared with the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Within the overall increase, the number of offences of rape increased by 41 per cent to 29,234 offences, and the number of other sexual offences increased by 35 per cent to 58,872 offences, the ONS reports.

How do I find out if someone is on the register?

The child sex offender disclosure scheme – known as Sarah’s Law - allows parents, carers and guardians to formally ask the police to tell them if someone has a record for child sexual offences.

Started in 2008, the child sex offender disclosure scheme was developed in consultation with Sara Payne, Sarah's mother, along with the police, and children’s charities.

The scheme is available across all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

Scotland run a similar nationwide scheme called Keeping children safe which allows parents, carers and guardians of children under 18 years old to ask the police if someone who has contact with their child has a record for sexual offences against children, or other offences that could put that child at risk.

No such scheme is formally available in Northern Ireland. However, information on sex offenders can be, and is, shared in a controlled way by the police where necessary for the purposes of child protection or risk management.