Two Dutch pedophiles who fled the Netherlands after receiving jail terms have been sentenced to 10 years in jail in Ecuador.

Marthijn Uittenbogaard from Hengelo and his partner Lesley Luijs were found guilty by a court in Manabí of the possession of child pornography.

Uittenbogaard was sentenced to six months in Rotterdam last year for continuing the banned pedophile organisation Martijn, which attempts to normalise sexual relations between adults and children. He left the country pending an appeal. Luijs was given ten weeks for producing child pornography.

The two men were arrested in Ecuador a year ago. According to Ecuadorian police, Luijs was found with two minors in a hotel in the coastal resort of Canoa while was arrested at Guayaquil airport as he tried to leave the country.

A woman from Belarus suspected of helping the men was acquitted.

Ecuadorian police also suspect the two men of belonging to an international pedophile network, which is thought to include another Dutch national, Ecuadorian media said.

Nelson M was arrested in Mexico over a year ago and is being held on charges of people trafficking and possession of child pornography.

The men’s activities were brought to the attention of police by charity Free a Girl which led to investigations in both Ecuador and Mexico.