The ringleader of a paedophile group has been convicted for making drawings depicting horrific sexual and physical abuse of children.

Stephen Freeman, from Catford, was one of five men convicted in the landmark case on May 12.

Two Putney men John Morrison, 44 and John Parratt, 63, both from Upper Richmond Road were caught posessing indecent images of children alongside 57-year-old Freeman.

The trio and Barry Cutler, 60, from Beckenham as well as Leo Adamson, 49, from Vauxhall were part of a sick paedophile ring known as the Paedophile Information Exchange.

They held 'parties' where they would exchange pictures, photographs, videos and even computer games involving children being abused.

Stephen Freeman had admitted at the Old Bailey to creating a series of hand drawn illustrations featuring the sexual and physical abuse of youngsters.

His group were caught after a covert investigation launched in 2008 by the Met’s Child Abuse Investigation Command.

Raids on the defendants' properties revealed a host of material, including around 15,000 pictures, numerous videos, and a large amount of books about paedophilia.

Detectives also discovered a number of computer games where the goal was to abuse as many children as possible.

The court heard that at 60-year-old Barry Cutler’s home in Porchester Mead, Beckenham, rooms were jam-packed full of pictures and publications, with officers required to walk through the hallway sideways in order to get past the sheer volume of material.

Detective Inspector Paul Maddocks from Child Abuse Investigation Command said: "Freeman was instrumental in bringing this group of men together and encouraging the exchange of material.

“Even when caught, his arrogance was such that he refused to provide police with the key to a large quantity of encrypted information held on computer discs."

Freeman had pleaded guilty to possession of indecent photographs of a child, distribution of indecent photographs of a child, failure to disclose a key to protected information and possession of prohibited images of a child.

Cutler had pleaded guilty to possession of indecent photographs of a child and failure to disclose a key to protected information.

Leo Adamson, of Cricketers Court, was found guilty of failure to disclose a key to protected information.

All five are due to be sentenced on June 3 at the Old Bailey.