A paedophile who spent thousands of pounds commissioning the sexual abuse of children as young as two has been jailed for 13 years. 

Swanley man Matthew Bower, 52, spent six years orchestrating the horrific abuse of young girls. 

An FBI investigation found he would send money via Paypal asking for explicit photos or videos. 

In 2017 a 15-year-old girl in the USA came forward and explained how a female family member had sexually abused her. 

It was revealed that Bower had been paying that family member to photograph the abuse for his sick sexual gratification. 

When he was arrested officers found chat logs on his devices where he’d used the name ‘evo5_mat’ to tell a woman what he wanted her to do to the victim. 

In one chat he said: “OK KINDA LIKE TO SEE BOTH OF U PICS, SO MAYBE WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW IS SHE FREE.” 

Another time he said: “SENT U 80 SO EXPECT A LOT”. 

News Shopper: National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators also found that over a six year period Bower had spent around £6,000 on the abuse. 

Other chat logs were found in which Bower actively encouraged others to sexually abuse kids. 

They identifed a woman in Romania who had been abusing a child under the age of 2, as directed by Bower. 

She was convicted in December 2019 of rape and child abuse offences and is currently serving more than eight years in prison. 

Bower also contacted a number of children on Skype, encouraging them to send him naked photos and perform sexual acts on camera. 

Two girls, aged 8 and 15, from the USA were identified as having been coerced by Bower into sending indecent images. 

Both have since been safeguarded by the US authorities. 

He initially told officers he had been the victim of hacking, but in October 2023, he pleaded guilty to 15 offences including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and making over 1,700 indecent images of children, including category A images. 

At Croydon Crown Court on Thursday (January 25) he was jailed for 13 years as Judge Lowe issued an extended sentence, saying “I have no hesitation in concluding you are dangerous”. 

Jen Cruickshank, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, said: “Bower is clearly a dangerous individual who has a depraved sexual interest in children. 

“For a significant period of time he actively sought people online – both adults and children – whom he could coerce into sending him abuse material for his sexual gratification. 

“I’d like to pay tribute to the victims who bravely spoke about the abuse they had suffered. 

“The initial victim report was the catalyst for this investigation and ultimately led to us being able to identify Bower and ensure further victims were safeguarded. 

“The NCA is dedicated to protecting children and disrupting the highest harm offenders wherever they are in the world. Collaboration with our international colleagues is imperative in achieving this.”