Paedophiles are invariably thought of as men but there are an estimated 64,000 female paedophiles or child abusers in the UK 

For our vast list of UK female abusers – click the drop down menu on the right and click female abusers – where we have listed 276 to date.

There is a real lack of understanding by society on female paedophilia. Although a large % of child abusers are male, it would be right to say that more women are committing sexual offences than ‘official’ statistics show us

By its very nature the true picture of child abuse is unclear. But with women perpetrators it’s even more so. Convictions are thin on the ground and some believe the issue is an unhelpful distraction from the bigger problem.

We have always thought of the female as being the carer, the bringer-upper and the safety mechanism for children. So when woman do offend we as a society fail to take it as seriously as we should

Marie Raison (pictured below) was pregnant when she sexually abused a nine-month-old baby and a five-year-old girl to please a man she had never met – She was jailed for six years – For more on this case click this link

The Lucy Faithful foundation said up to 20% of an estimated 320,000 suspected UK paedophiles are women. There is compelling evidence of a wide range and variety of child sex offences by women, alone or with a man

Female offending is often more sadistic than male offending and tends to last for a longer time. What is agreed is all offenders require two key elements – access and opportunity and given that females usually are the primary carers of children, they have both in abundance

Female offences against teenagers (hebophiles rather than paedophiles) are more of a mystery because victims don’t come forward, partly because in a patriarchal society boys are even expected to enjoy that kind of abuse, and not admit how scared they are by it.

Audrey Elizabeth Beck (pictured below) a championship dog breeder, was jailed for a year after admitting a series of sex attacks on two boys dating back more than 20 years. 

Beck, from Co Antrim, was also told to serve three years on probation on her release after pleading guilty to 14 charges of indecently assaulting one of the boys when he was aged between 10 and 11 and seven similar offences against another boy when he was aged between 12 and 14. More on this case click this

Some believe that society’s different attitude to women offenders is reflected in the language of the media reporting it. They point out that teachers “seduce” pupils if they are female but “sexually assault” if male.

Greater awareness is needed over female abusers and that needs to filter down from law enforcement to sentencing and front-line social care

A FEMALE nursery school worker who engaged in sexual acts with children has been sentenced to two years in prison

Jane Voss (pictured above) had made 17 photographs of herself engaging in sexual activity with two children aged six and 11 which she then sent to a notorious paedophile based in Thailand. Click this link

Stranger attacks by women hardly exist, so most female paedophiles are winning the trust of children first and either have a position of care working with children like a babysitter or they are a relative

TEACHING assistant Rachel Peters (pictured below) who sexually abused a 13-year-old boy was jailed for more than three years. Click this link

Colin never knew innocence as a child. His earliest memories are of his mother sexually abusing him. In the bath, in his bed and in the night. Until he was 13.

Twenty years later, after a young life derailed by truancy, drugs and violence, he is still deeply affected by what he says happened.

“It’s only now that I realise the impact it has had on me. From the age of 14, as soon as it got dark I would have panic attacks and that fuelled my drug-taking because doing it, I felt safe again.

“I couldn’t sleep at night and I’d get flashbacks of my mum on top of me. I couldn’t hold down a job and I was scared of girls.”

The fact the perpetrator was the person who gave birth to him made it harder for him to identify and accept it as abuse, he believes.

“I found it hard to even say it was sexual abuse because of the way society views mothers, and quite rightly – 99% are loving but I was just unlucky to get one that wasn’t.

“That’s what stopped me from getting help for a long time. I couldn’t even acknowledge it myself and there was a worry about being believed and speaking out against my mother. I felt like I was doing something wrong.”

A Teesside woman who had sex almost 200 times with a 12-year-old boy has been jailed for nine years. Angela Sullivan gave the boy a pair of trainers as a reward when he slept with her for the 100th time.

The 36-year-old mother admitted 10 specimen charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Click this link 

It’s a comment on how society views paedophilia today that the most shocking aspect of Colin’s story is not the sexual abuse itself, but the fact the perpetrator was female.

Over the years we’ve had lots of men abused by mothers, sisters, aunties and baby sitters. It’s hard enough for adult men to admit being abused as a child but to admit to being abused by a woman is even harder because it challenges their masculinity, it challenges their sexuality.

Women can commit a wide range of sexual offences including rape. And their victims commonly experience sexual confusion and a fear of intimacy. Anger can manifest itself as violence towards a wife or girlfriend in later life.

A former tutor labelled a ‘predatory paedophile’ by detectives has been handed a indeterminate prison sentence after she admitted sexually abusing young children. Carol Clarke was convicted of indecent assaults on children before 1992 and sexual assault on girls under 13 in 2008. Click this link

After a week in which Britain was shocked by two more cases involving female teachers , we explain how most female paedophiles or child abusers either go unpunished or escape with lenient sentences

One teenage boy told of his three year ordeal at the hands of his abuser – 34 year old Nicola Ward (pictured below)

Perverted Nicola Ward was jailed for eight years in January

The boy – Now 16 years old – said: “She was funny and intelligent. She used all these posh words and came across as really well spoken”

“But she would switch after she had a drink or took drugs. she became a different person”

The schoolboy said the abuse began when he was just 12 years old. Ward plied him with cocaine and then performed a sex act.

It was the start of a campaign in which she would corner the lad and coerce him into sex acts with her

Ward, 34 of Worksop, Notts was arrested last April after the boys father became suspicious.

Ward was jailed for eight years by Nottingham crown court after admitting sexual activity with a child and supplying drugs

Ward jailed in January, was sent to Peterborough prison – making her one of an estimated 100 female child abusers behind bars. She was moved to a low security psychiatric unit in July

Her victim is still having therapy to help him come to terms with the sex attacks. He said: “I never thought a woman was capable of something like this”

However ward is far from a unique case

One of the most infamous cases in the UK was in 2009 at little Teds nursery in Plymouth. Parents trusted nursery worker Vanessa George with their children. She was described as an “angel” and a “second mother”

But the mother of two was secretly part of an on-line paedophile ring – sending pictures of herself molesting children in her care to fellow pervert Colin Blanchard.

Click this for Vanessa George – Police interview

In December 2009 George was given an indeterminate sentence. She must serve a minimum of seven years and not to be released until she is no longer a threat to children. There was also three other female paedophile ring members – all who were also jailed. 

Pictured: Tracy Dawber, Vanessa George, Tracy Lyons and Angela Allen

Tracy Lyons and Tray Dawber have already been released and Angela Allen will be released THIS YEAR. Vanessa George will be considered for her release in 2016

Click this for complete story of Colin Blanchard Paedophile ring

THIS week there were two court cases involving female teachers who were accused of seducing pupils. Lesbian PE teacher Emily Fox, 26 (pictured below) pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a 15 year old pupil

For more on that case click this link

Meanwhile, also this week teaching assistant Elaine McKay, 58 (pictured below) admitted sending a string of explicit photos of herself with a cucumber. She was however cleared of a further charge of having sex with the boy after McKay claimed he had lied.

Click this link for more on that case

Divorced mother of two Karen Ackland, 44, (pictured below) got a suspended sentence last week after admitting sexual activity with a child. She attacked her 14 year old victim after a party at his home. His mum offered Ackland a bed for the night because she had been drinking. However she pounced on the boy as he got ready to goto bed. Ackland was caught when the lads older brother heard noises.

The victims mum said she was furious at the sentence given to Ackland

Click this for more on that case

Two mums who took part in the sexual abuse of their children with paedophile Lost Prophets singer Ian Watkins (pictured below) were caged last year. One of the vile woman, who let the singer attempt to rape her baby, was jailed for 14 years

The second woman, who obeyed Watkins instructions to abuse her child, was given a 17-year sentence. 

For: Ian Watkins: Judges sentencing remarks: minus Defence/Prosecution remarks – Be warned does contain graphic details of the offences click this link

In June this year Chantelle Goatley of Newbury, a housewife who groomed under-age boys for sex by plying them with alcohol and letting them smoke cannabis at her house was sent to prison for over 4 years – For more on that case click this link