Sickening text messages between Tracy Turner and Stuart Compton revealed how the twisted couple discussed plans to rape children – today they learned their fates
A female hospital worker who planned horrific rapes of young children with her partner has been jailed.
Tracy Turner, who worked as operating theatre assistant at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales, and partner Stuart Compton sent each other thousands of messages planning the depraved abuse of two girls and a boy. Merthyr Crown Court heard their sick plan failed after an online dating app informed police of concerns about Compton and they were both arrested.
Turner planned for them to go to a “hippy family festival” to be around young families, an idea that Compton said would mean lots of drugs would be consumed and young girls would be left unattended girls, adding that it was a “great f*****g idea, that’s genius babe”.
Today Compton was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum tariff of seven years, while Turner was jailed for 12 years with another two on licence.
At an earlier hearing, they had both pleaded guilty to six counts of arranging sex with a child. Compton, 46, also admitted to six counts of making indecent images, and 52-year-old Turner admitted two counts of the same offence.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe told the court their conversations demonstrated a “clear intent to arrange and commit sexual acts” with young children – although no child was ever abused. He said: “The first threads of messages suggested fantasy, they expressly talked about fantasy, but this developed into an obsession.
“Their obsession drove them to discuss over and over the sexual acts that they intended to perform and the ways that they believed that they could achieve that goal.”
The prosecutor said they had been arranging the “brutal rape” of one of the children and had planned to drug the child to aid the abuse. “They recognised the abuse for what it was, they recognised that it was rape.
“It was not a realisation that it would amount to rape, instead they were clearly stimulated by the fact that it was rape. Compton would press her whether she wanted to be present, she would confirm that she did and go on to confirm that she wanted to be involved.
“Compton claimed that he would accept all responsibility for the acts. The exchanges lasted months, they began as a fantasy but they became an obsession and an intended goal.”
The court heard that messages recovered by the police took weeks to go through because there was so many, and showed Compton was interested in children “aged one to six”.
“The examination of Compton’s device also demonstrated that he discussed sexual fantasies with others with a similar interest,” Mr Cobbe said. “He would develop his own character in these conversations and personal circumstances, creating depraved sexual stories involving children.”
Referring to Turner, Mr Cobbe said “They exchange messages where they discuss the possibility of going to a festival or camping, so that they can be ‘around’ families with young children.
“Turner suggests a family festival, not too expensive. Compton thinks that is a ‘great idea’, commenting he’d like to go to a ‘hippy one, where lots of drugs consumed leaving unattended girls, great f*****g idea that’s genius babe’.”
Compton appeared in the dock wearing a blue polo shirt, breathing heavily, wiping tears from his eyes. Turner, wearing a grey zip jacket, held her head in her hands and sobbed throughout.
Compton, from Cathays, and Turner, from Roath, both Cardiff, had denied a string of other offences, including conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to kidnap – which were ordered to lie on the file.
Turner worked in the busy operating theatre at the 800-bed University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff until she was suspended after police were contacted.
A Cardiff and Vale University Health Board spokeswoman previously said: “The health board suspended the individual once we were made aware of the allegations against them.
“This is a sensitive issue and the health board has been cooperating with partners in South Wales Police. We are not able to comment further while court proceeding are ongoing.”