A middle-aged couple from Gloucestershire have gone on trial accused of having sex in front of a webcam knowing that a nine-year-old American girl was viewing from her home in New York.

Ronald and Denise Edwards allegedly encouraged the girl’s grandfather to perform sex acts with her before having sex themselves.

Gloucester Crown Court was told yesterday that the grandfather, who was subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison, would be the principal witness against the couple.

Edwards, 54, has pleaded guilty to his role in the offences but his 44-year-old wife denies she was the woman he was having sex with.

Mrs Edwards, denies three charges of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and possessing indecent photographs of a child.

Robert Davies, for the prosecution, warned the jury that they would find the evidence in the case “disturbing”.

Mr Davies said: “This case relates to the use of the internet through computers to encourage a man in the United States, in New York, to sexually abuse his granddaughter when on-line to England, to the Edwards’ house, and to encourage that granddaughter to do things to herself and with her grandad. When that was happening the Edwards themselves were engaging in sexual activity back in England, viewable in New York by this young girl, and including sexual intercourse.”

Mr Davies told the jury: “Whatever you think of Mrs Edwards at the end of this you will find some of the evidence, I am afraid, rather disturbing. It is a window into the minds of people who engage in this type of thing.” He said the jury would see a transcript of the 75-minute webcam conversation between the Edwards, the girl and her grandfather at their home in Jamestown, New York.

He said: “It involves the courting of the girl to engage in sexual activity.

“The activity being encouraged is in relation to the man who was with her at the time, her grandfather.”

Mr Davies said that while the girl carried out the sex acts in the United States she would have been able to see the Edwards having intercourse.

He said: “To be vulgar about it, they were getting off on it. They were encouraged by what they could see and hear.”

The case came to light, he said, as a result of an investigation by US police in 2004 which led to the arrest of the girl’s 57-year-old grandfather.

He is now serving an 18-year sentence for offences including rape and sodomy and will give evidence today via video link from his prison in the United States..

Mr Davies told the jury: “You will see the grandfather give evidence from New York. He has pleaded guilty to a number of offences including rape and sodomy and offences relating to this activity on the web.

“Whatever happens in this case over the next few days he will serve 18 years’ imprisonment. On the face of it there seems to be nothing in it for him for giving evidence.

“He will tell you about what he was doing. You will not like it. There is no reason why you should.

“He will tell you about this couple that he engaged in this activity with on the webcams in the chatrooms.”

Mr Davies said that when Mrs Edwards was interviewed she denied that she was the woman involved, but told police she and her husband were “swingers” who engaged in sex with other couples in front of webcams for the benefit of others who could see them.

“That was their thing, what the Edwards did,” Mr Davies said.

“She initially said it never extended to sexual intercourse, but she changed her mind in a later interview.”

The case continues.

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