A pervert who systematically preyed on three young boys over a 15-year period has been locked up for almost 20 years.

David Gillender’s horrendous sexual abuse had a devastating impact on his three victims, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 66-year-old’s reign of terror over the boys lasted from for different periods of time from the mid-80s until the early-00s.

Simon Reevell, prosecuting, said Gillender was found guilty of 14 charges of sexual activity with the three victims while he was living in the Redcar area following a trial earlier this year.

He told the court how the defendant performed oral sex on one of the victims on numerous occasions, while forcing another of the victims to perform oral sex on Gillender and the third victim was sexually assaulted on at least two occasions.

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The first victim said the abuse had robbed him of his childhood and left him unable to maintain stable relationship with people.

The second victim said he was left suffering from anxiety as a result of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Gillender.

And the third victim said he had turned to drugs at a young age in a desperate attempt to blank out the sexual abuse he suffered.

Andrew Petterson, in mitigation, urged the judge to bear in mind the age of the offences and said his client was of previous good character.

Judge Chris Smith jailed Gillender for a total of 17 years and six months with an extended licence period of one-year once he released from custody.

He said: “Each of your victims was subjected to a sustained period of sexual abuse at your hands. Each of your victims felt they were robbed of their childhood by you.”

Gillender, of Mansfield Mews, Quedgeley, Gloucestershire, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Nicky Barker, from Cleveland Police’s Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adults Unit (CAVA), said: “Throughout the entire police and legal process, he continually denied his offending which meant the victims had to relive their traumatic experiences and undergo the stress of a trial.

“This was a very complex investigation involving a number of victims and offending which took place many years ago.

“I’d like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and for their patience while our long running inquiries took place. I know this has had a deep and lasting effect on them.

“Gillender has now received a lengthy custodial sentence and I hope the victims will obtain a degree of comfort from this.”

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