Paedophile worked for children's charity

- 06 July 2009

A SAVE the Children worker who led a double life as a member of an international internet paedophile ring is facing years behind bars.

Sohail Ayaz, 35, of Whiting Avenue, Barking, came to the UK on a two-year visa after molesting a 13-year-old boy and taking photos of the abuse.

He is also wanted in Italy accused of helping perverts there and in Norway sexually assault at least 15 Romanian children.

The administrator was arrested at his desk at the charity's London headquarters on February 4.

A search of his computer hard drive at his home uncovered around 400 sick photographs and 112 movies. Some of the snaps depicted him in sexual scenes with the teenage boy and led to an investigation in another country.

He is understood to have carried out the abuse over several years.

Last week at Southwark Crown Court, Ayaz - originally from Pakistan - admitted three child sex charges relating to the boy, taking photos and sharing them in chatrooms. Police have applied to have him deported after he has served his sentence.

Judge Peter Testar remanded him in custody, ahead of sentence on July 28.

Ishbel Mattheson, spokesman for Save the Children, said outside court it had not been deemed necessary to carry out Criminal Records Bureau checks.

She said: "He was a fairly junior clerical worker and did not have any contact with children or access to any confidential information about children.

"There was no identifiable risk in view of the work he was doing.

"It is a case which has obviously shocked and horrified us as a children's organisation, and we really welcome the result today in the court and the Met officers' efforts to bring this man, who is obviously a danger to children, out of circulation.