A CRUEL and depraved pervert who carried out a catalogue of sexual and physical abuse, starting more than 50 years ago, has finally been brought to justice.

Michael Hololob terrorised four young children over a protracted period which started when he was just a teenager himself.

The 68-year-old targeted three of them for repeated sexual abuse whilst inflicting violent beatings with a belt on the other young victim.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Hololob was convicted of 25 offences when he was sentenced for his horrific campaign of abuse.

The violent sexual predator left all four of his victims with lifelong psychological damage caused by his repeat offending over several years.

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In their victim impact statements, read out in court by Richard Bennett, prosecuting, they all outlined the devastating lasting impact on their lives.

The victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke of how the shadow of Hololob’s abuse was cast over them throughout their lives, right up until the point he was finally convicted.

They told of the psychological problems the abuse created and how it continues to affect their daily lives.

The Northern Echo: Michael HololobMichael Hololob

Hololob, of Lytton Court, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of 25 charges of sexual assault and child cruelty following a lengthy trial at the same court.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said his client understood that he had ‘had his trial and lost’ and that left little room for mitigation.

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Hololob to 21 years for his campaign of abuse which had severely impacted their lives for more than 50 years.

He said: “He could hardly have gone further out of his way to be unpleasant to them.

The judge told the defendant he would sever 20 years in prison before serving an additional one year on licence.

Hololob was issued with a life-long restraining order to protect the four victims.

He was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Speaking after the hearing, Officer in the case Detective Constable Wini Hind from Cleveland Police’s Child Abuse & Vulnerable Adult Investigation Unit said: “This was a complex and lengthy investigation involving repeat offending against multiple victims over many years.

“It was vital that we dealt with the victims sensitively and professionally, while offering all the support we could as they revisited traumatic and painful events.

“All four victims feel they didn’t have the childhood they should have had and as a consequence their adult lives have been hugely impacted.

And Detective Chief Inspector Deb Fenny said: “I would like to commend the victims’ bravery and I hope today’s sentence will at least help them achieve a degree of closure.

“For almost 50 years they each felt they wouldn’t be or haven’t been believed and this continued during the trial, right until the guilty verdicts.”

David Crook, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East, said: “Michael Hololob carried out a sustained campaign of physical and sexual abuse against his victims over a number of years. The effect of his cruel actions on those he targeted was significant, with the impact of his abuse following them throughout their lives.”

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