The father of a Bradford girl who became the "toy" of a man with a monstrous record of sex abuse was at the heart of a pornography smuggling ring at Ashworth Hospital.

A damning report into the top security Merseyside hospital said the girl made more than 150 visits.

The eight-year-old, who was being monitored by Bradford Social Services, was taken by her father, a former Ashworth patient, to visit two predatory sex attackers, Peter Hemming and Paul Corrigan over a two-year period.

Although there was no evidence of abuse she was being "groomed" for paedophile activities, according to the damning report of the inquiry into allegations of wrongdoings at the hospital's personality disorder unit made by a former patient and abscondee - Skipton-born Stephen Daggett.

Hemming - who had a record of serious sexual offences against young girls - was seen rolling on the floor with the girl in her underwear.

And the girl regarded Corrigan, whose crimes include the torture, abuse and murder of a teenage boy, as an "adopted godfather".

The girl's father - who was found by the report to have been at the heart of a pornography smuggling operation at the hospital - also brought a young boy to visit Corrigan on a dozen occasions.

A patient, named in the report only as W, said of the girl and Hemming: "In my view she was almost a toy for him to roll around with on the floor, sit astride his back naked except in her knickers, playing games out in the garden, hide and seek."

Health Secretary Frank Dobson yesterday told the House of Commons that the report of the inquiry - headed by former Judge Peter Fallon QC - had uncovered a "shameful picture" of mismanagement and incompetence at Ashworth.

He said the girl was now living a settled life and, under a court order, her father has no contact with her. She was being "exploited by the adult world," he said. "I am determined that from now on the adult world looks after her instead."

When the allegations came to light in February 1997 Bradford social services said an examination of the girl's circumstances had been carried out in 1992 when her father's criminal background came to light.

Today, Liam Hughes, the Council's director of social services, said it would be inappropriate for the authority to comment until it had carefully considered the report.

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