Paedophile's wife researched victims' care records

Helen Logins worked for the city council where she used their computers to search for information on her husband's victims

The wife of a convicted paedophile looked up social care records of his victims using council computers, a court heard.

Andris Logins was jailed in March for raping and assaulting boys and girls at a children's home in Nottinghamshire.

Helen Logins, 52, admitted six offences under the Computer Misuse Act before her husband went on trial.

Nottingham Crown Court heard she abused her position as a Nottingham City Council manager.

She searched confidential care records and case files of people who had accused her husband of carrying out the offences in the 1980s, the hearing was told.

Handing Logins a 12-month suspended sentence, Judge James Sampson said her actions were a "gross breach of trust".

'Intensely personal'

He added: "Your motive was to assist your husband. You couldn't resist temptation.

"You have now lost your job, your career, your husband to a 20-year sentence and I accept that these last three years have been stressful for both you and your children."

Prosecutor Mary Prior said Logins "abused her position of trust by accessing the social care files" and "seeing the most intensely personal information".

'She panicked'

Mitigating, Sarah Knight, said the defendant had wanted to check whether she had had any dealings with them.

"Knowing that her husband was being investigated was, for her, a living nightmare. She panicked," she added.

Logins, of Stiles Road, Arnold, was dismissed from her position at Nottingham City Council in June last year.

The authority said her actions were "a significant breach of professional and ethical standards" and it stayed "committed to protecting the privacy".