A mother let her son be repeatedly raped by an infamous paedophile who showered her and her partner with gifts.

The 35-year-old and her partner also ignored police and social services warnings about David Cullen’s history of abusing children, with a detective last night saying the paedophile exchanged access to the boy for presents.

Yesterday she was jailed for four years and her partner for three-and-a-half years as they became the first couple known to have been convicted of wilfully exposing a youngster to sexual abuse.

They let Cullen — who was first convicted of child abuse in 1996 — take their son on day trips and weekends away, as well as allowing them to sleep in the same room.

On one occasion Cullen — who was jailed for life in November for attacking the boy and four other children — raped him in a hotel bedroom after paying for his parents, who cannot be named, to get drunk in the bar downstairs.

Amjad Malik, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court, said police ordered them not to leave him alone with the boy.

He said: “A friend indicated to (the mother) that he thought David Cullen was guilty of offences in respect of another boy.

“Her reply was that she could not give a ****.”

Mr Malik added the couple’s children were put on the child protection register after police turned up at their home and found them drunk in charge of the youngsters in 2004.

He said Cullen, formerly of Greater Leys, paid the family cash and bought them clothes, trainers, a weekend away, a washing machine and large quantities of alcohol.

And he added one of the rapes happened while Cullen was on bail facing further allegations of child abuse.

James Reilly, defending the mother, said: “She is someone who has a below average IQ. She accepts at some point she turned a blind eye to what was going on.”

Peter Coombe, defending her partner, said: “They were lulled into a false sense of security about David Cullen. It is plain he is quite a charismatic and manipulative man.”

The couple admitted child cruelty and, as well as jailing them, Judge Julian Hall banned them both from working with children.

He said: “They were seduced by money and by charm.

“Neighbours, and eventually the social services, warned them of the danger of allowing their son to have contact with Mr Cullen and they did nothing to stop it.

“Mr Cullen paid for them to stay at a hotel and, it is awful to say it, that while they were getting drunk in the bar downstairs their son was getting abused in the room upstairs.

“It is difficult to imagine a more blatant case of failing to protect.”

Speaking outside court, Barton resident Fiona Vinten, who is related to Cullen by marriage, said: “It makes you feel sick. She doesn’t deserve to be a mother.”

Det Chief Insp Paul Gration said: “It is clear from the evidence that Cullen bought the defendants gifts in exchange for this access.

“It is also clear that the two were well aware of the threat Cullen posed to the child.

“I am sure people will find this type of crime difficult to comprehend as the defendants have clearly placed their own needs above the safety and care of their child.”