An Elizabeth East couple to remain in custody, charged with multiple horrific child sex offences

A mother who allegedly sexually assaulted a two-year-old boy also watched her convicted sex offender boyfriend committing horrific sexual abuse on her young children, police allege.

A northern suburbs couple allegedly inflicted shocking sexual abuse on children as young as two in a “very mutual” arrangement, a court has heard.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW

The 33-year-old woman applied for bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, with her lawyer saying she had been groomed by the man to allegedly participate.

A prosecutor opposed the bail application, saying the prosecution case was strong.

The court heard the couple, whose names are suppressed, were arrested earlier this year after police received information there was child exploitation material on the man’s phone.

“When that phone was seized police located messaged between (the man and the woman),” the prosecutor said.

“The child exploitation material located on the phone (of the man) contained 33,000 images,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard the 29-year-old man allegedly sexually assaulted the woman’s children, aged two, four, seven and 14.

“It is alleged that (the woman) was present during some or all of those,” the prosecutor said.

Police also allege that when the 14-year-old daughter of the woman told her that she had been sexually assaulted by the man during her sleep, the woman replied “there’s nothing I can do”.

An Elizabeth East couple will remain in custody, charged with horrific sexual abuse of children. Picture: File

The court heard the woman, who is a mother-of-four, allegedly sexually assaulted the two-year-old nephew of the man while she was babysitting him.

The court heard the child, who is now in foster care, is showing “extremely disturbing” behaviours.

“The foster mother is providing a statement, saying when she tried to change the child’s nappy he was absolutely uncontrollable with fear,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard there were also messages allegedly sent between the couple about what they would do to the woman’s two-year-old daughter when they got her back.

“This accused said she was going to drug her and hold the two-year-old down while the other accused (sexually assaulted) the two-year-old,” the prosecutor said.

“The messages … don’t suggest that this was a one-way situation with (the man) as the main instigator, it’s very mutual on the prosecution case.”

The Elizabeth East couple are charged with multiple offences, including producing child exploitation material and indecent assault, while the man is also charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and possessing child exploitation material.

The court heard there were likely to be additional charges laid.

William Marsh, for the woman, told the court that the couple had been in a relationship for two years.

“The co-accused does have significant history in relation to child sex offending,” he said.

The court heard the man had prior convictions for distributing and possessing child abuse material.

“It’s my instructions that this offending was instigated by the co-accused … it’s an abusive relationship and she felt pressured by him,” Mr Marsh said.

“It’s very much a situation where she has effectively been groomed by the co-accused.”

Mr Marsh told the court the woman, who has bipolar, had ended the relationship with the man.

The prosecutor disagreed, saying the couple had been sending each other messages while in custody.

Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal denied the woman bail, due to the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of the woman interfering with witnesses.

The charges were adjourned until February.