Ian Wathey and his partner Craig Faunch, approved as foster carers by Wakefield Council in July 2003, were found guilty yesterday at Leeds Crown Court of a series of sex offences against youngsters.
Although the council was aware that year of an obscene photograph one of the men had made the authority has said it took action against the couple as soon as it was able to.
The jury heard that within months of receiving papers allowing them to foster children Faunch and Wathey, of Sibes Road, Pontefract, were using boys from troubled homes for their own sexual gratification.
Two eight-year-old brothers were placed with the men when their mother approached social services for help. She became worried when she saw a photograph Faunch had taken of one of her sons while he was urinating into a toilet.
Council social workers investigated but decided the men had been "naive and silly" after they said they had used the picture to embarrass the boy because he repeatedly left the toilet door open.
Another victim, whose complaint triggered the police inquiry, told the court over videolink he used a full bottle of shower gel to clean himself after one of the incidents.
Describing the abuse, he said: "It hurt. Afterwards, I said 'Pack it in now,' and then I went to bed.
"I was gutted. I didn't want anything to do with anyone else. All I could do was sit there and cry."
Faunch, 32, was found guilty of two charges of making indecent photos of a child. The court was told he used a camcorder to film the two brothers in the shower.
He was also found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.
Wathey, 40, was found guilty of four charges of sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy and one of encouraging a child to watch a gay porn video.
He was cleared of two charges of sexual activity with a child by the jury.
Wakefield Council's Service Director for Children in Need, Kitty Ferris, said the allegations against Faunch and Wathey were referred to the police "as quickly as possible" and the subsequent investigation led to the prosecution of the couple.
She added: "Although correct procedures were carried out at every stage, the service has reviewed its internal procedures to identify what lessons should be learned. Checks are in place for foster placements including unannounced home visits and the council is regularly inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection."
David Holmes, Chief Executive of The British Association for Adoption and Fostering, said it was important not to confuse the sexuality of the carers with committing sex crimes against children
But he added: "This is a dreadful case. The crimes this couple committed are a shocking betrayal of the vulnerable children involved."
Kate Penrose, of the Crown Prosecution Service said Faunch and Wathey abused a "position of enormous trust".
She added: "As foster parents they took vulnerable young boys into their home and should have provided them with a stable and loving environment. Instead of being treated with kindness and dignity they were subjected to abuse at the hands of two people who were responsible for their safety and well being."
And a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the case had been very distressing for the victims and the outcome was a credit to their bravery.
Wakefield Council is now applying for Faunch and Wathey to be put on the Protection of Children Act register.
The men were remanded in custody by Judge Sally Cahill QC for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.
david.hogg@ypn.co.uk

How law was controversially changed

In theory, there has never been any ban on gay couples adopting or fostering.
In practice, they were always regarded as "unmarrieds", so the application would have to be made by one of them, as a single person. That person's circumstances, including any live-in partner, would be taken into account, leaving him or her an unlikely choice. The Prime Minister tried to grasp the nettle in 2000, with a Cabinet discussion dubbed by the media "the adoption summit".
One result was the first movement towards a controversial amendment to the adoption law, to allow unmarried couples to be assessed as a unit and to make it explicit that their sexual orientation was not to be held against them.
The amendment was made in 2002 but did not come into effect until last year. It was beginning to influence the selection of foster parents when the Wakefield authorities were asked to consider Faunch and Wathey.