The son of a convicted bigamist has been jailed for sexually abusing two children.

Joshua Ingram stood in the dock at Maidstone Crown Crown just four weeks after his father John Ingram had appeared to learn his fate in relation to illegally marrying his teenage stepdaughter while still wed to her mother.

But while John Ingram walked free, he had to watch from the public gallery last Friday (February 7) as his 24-year-old son was told a prison sentence was demanded.

The court heard the Sheerness resident was a teenager when he subjected his victims to abuse and threats of violence if they revealed their ordeals.

His warped and criminal conduct included showing one victim a pornographic video on his phone and then ordering them to perform the sex act they had seen.

He also crudely told the child he wanted to ”f***” them and demanded they had “better keep their mouth shut” about his depravity.

On another occasion, Ingram even went so far as to threaten his second victim that he would kill them if they did not comply, and used force by dragging them by their leg and putting his hand over their mouth.

Ingram later admitted a total of 13 offences - 12 of sexual activity with a child and one of causing a child to watch pornography - dating back to 2015.

At his sentencing hearing, Judge Philip St John-Stevens told Ingram, who at times could be seen wiping his eyes with a tissue, that the abuse had had a “devastating and distorting” impact on his victims.

Referring to their statements read to the court at an earlier hearing he remarked: “They said you took their childhood away.

“The impact upon them - the depression, the anguish, not wishing to carry on with life....leaving them scared that someone would find out.

“The court can only reflect on the strength of those two individuals that they have shown and hope, in some way in concluding this case, they can start on that path to some rehabilitation.

“No sentence can give back those two victims their childhood…”

“But of course that is not easy.”

The judge also said the sentence imposed was not to be seen as a “crude measure” of the harm caused to them.

“What they must understand, whatever sentence this court passes, as much as the court would wish, it cannot turn the clock back,” he continued.

“No sentence can give back those two victims their childhood. It is not a crude measure of the pain they have felt and continue to feel.”

Furthermore, he said he was required by law to pass a sentence according to Ingram’s age when the offences were committed.

That meant he faced a maximum jail term of five years as opposed to one of 14 years had he been over 18 at the time.

The delay in proceedings also had to be taken account of, explained Judge St John-Stevens, as well as mitigating factors.

These included Ingram’s lack of previous convictions, the fact there had been no further re-offending, his guilty pleas, and diagnoses of various conditions, including ADHD, PTSD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and autism traits.

Furthermore, what was described as his “unstable living arrangements” also had to be taken into consideration as a relevant background factor, added the judge.

But he told Ingram, of Jefferson Road, that although he acknowledged he would be vulnerable in prison, an immediate spell behind bars was inevitable.

Jailing him for three years, the judge said he had not only targeted and threatened his victims but also, despite his neurodiversity, knew his behaviour was wrong.

Ingram simply nodded as the sentence, of which he will serve half, was imposed.

On release he will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements, as well as barring provisions in respect of working with children and vulnerable adults.

At the end of the hearing after the judge had risen, Ingram hugged his dad over the dock railing before being taken to the cells.