A FORMER dinner lady who sexually assaulted a young girl and sent an indecent photo of the three-year-old to the younger lover she met online has been jailed for two years and four months.

Muriel Melville broke down in the dock after she was sent to prison as her co-accused Michael Leith, who had urged her to look forward towards carrying out the rape of a child, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.

Melville, 73, told Leith, 48, during an exchange of messages that "in a way" she would rather have intercourse with children than with adults.

A judge rejected a plea to spare Melville custody after it was claimed that she had been "groomed" by Leith.

Lord Brailsford told Melville there were a "number of significant aggravating features" including the age of the victim and her vulnerability.

He also ordered that Melville, of Dunfermline, be kept under supervision for a further two years.

Lord Brailsford told Leith, of Cumbria, that he had pleaded guilty to a "very serious charge of incitement to rape and sexually assault a young child and to take indecent photographs of that child".

After sentencing, Detective Inspector June Peebles, of Police Scotland, said: "Michael Leith and Muriel Melville clearly had a very warped relationship which was mainly conducted online.

"Melville, an elderly female, was considered to be a trusted upstanding member of the public, however, this investigation very quickly identified that she had chosen to abuse her position of trust to feed her own and Leith's sexual gratification.

"For a female to be the main offender in a child sexual abuse inquiry is extremely rare - but this case demonstrates it does happen. Encouraged by Leith, Melville exploited a defenceless child and then shared the abuse online."

Melville assaulted the three-year-old and removed her lower clothing, moved her legs apart and exposed and photographed her before sending the image to Leith.

The High Court in Edinburgh was earlier told that the pair had met on an electronic forum called "AYI" - an abbreviation for the term "are you interested".

Advocate depute Keith Stewart QC said that Leith later visited Melville at her home where they had sex.

Mr Stewart said that following the tryst the pair exchanged messages with each other with Leith persistently raising raping and sexually abusing a child.

Melville mentioned that she had thought about her desire to abuse children and how exciting that might be and that her feelings for child sex were "very much alive in me now".

Leith asked her to provide pictures of a girl in sexualised poses and congratulated her on obtaining an image and sending it to him.

Mr Stewart said that from "time to time" Melville expressed reservations about the behaviour Leith was urging on her.

First offender Melville, who worked as a sales assistant, admitted sexually assaulting the child, sending grossly offensive or indecent messages and possessing and distributing indecent photos. The assault occurred on an occasion between July 2013 and April last year.

Leith, described as a prisoner in Perth, admitted inciting the actions of Melville. He pled guilty to attempting to conspire to rape and sexually assault a young child and to take indecent photographs of her between July 2013 and July last year.

The court heard that the hotel night porter, from Cumbria, was also a first offender but was subject to police bail in England.

Defence counsel Brian McConnachie QC, for Melville, said: "She is adamant she will never re-offend."

He said twice-married Melville had begun using the internet dating site and was flattered that someone of Leith's age should show an interest during "chats".

"At some point her co-accused took the conversation towards his sexual interest in children," he said.

Mr McConnachie said: "Her position is and remains that in so far as any actual sexual interest in children, there was none."

Mr McConnachie maintained that a social worker who produced a report was right when stating that Melville was groomed by her co-accused and a community-based disposal could be imposed.

Defence counsel Michael Anderson, for Leith, said he had recovered from a battle with cancer and went through relationship breakdown and "was in a very dark place" when he took to the dating app.

The pair were earlier placed on the sex offenders' register.