PAEDOPHILE Barry Bennell was branded “the devil incarnate” by a judge who jailed him for 30 years yesterday for abusing 12 young footballers he coached.
The former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court last week of 50 child sexual offences committed between 1979 and 1991.
Bennell may have more than 100 victims in total as an additional 86 complainants have come forward to say they too were abused by him.
Sentencing the 64-year-old, the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Clement Goldstone QC, said: “Your behaviour towards these boys in grooming and seducing them before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse was sheer evil.”
He said Bennell had appeared to his victims as a God but added: “In reality, you were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhoods and their innocence to satisfy your own perversion.”
The judge said half of Bennell’s 30-year term will be served in custody with the rest on licence and an additional licence period of one year.
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