A MAN who sexually abused two boys, one of them over several years, has been jailed for nine years.

Clifford Payne’s behaviour was described by a judge as "selfish pursuits for your own perverted sexual gratification".

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the father-of-six, now 72, even incited one of his victims to have sex with an older girl.

Payne, of Bensted Grove, Faversham, denied four charges of rape, five of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child, two of sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was convicted of one charge of rape, two of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child, two of sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity involving one boy.

He was also convicted of one charge of indecent assault on the second boy. He was acquitted of the other five charges.

John O’Higgins, prosecuting, said both victims had learning difficulties and one was prone to tumours. One had been removed from his brain.

One of the boys was aged about 11 when Payne started to abuse him "in a number of ways". It continued for about seven years. He would perform sex acts on the child and vice versa.

The chid claimed that Payne repeatedly raped him over the years. The final time it happened, he said, was in April last year.

He then told his mother. She did not know what to do, but this was overtaken by events as the boy also reported the matter to teachers at his school.

The other boy claimed he was molested on two occasions, once when he was aged 10 and once when he was 11.

On the second occasion, Payne provided accommodation for the boy to have sex with a girl. While the boy was having intercourse, Payne put his hand on his bottom and urged: "Go on boy".

Judge Michael Lawson, QC, told Payne, who did not give evidence, that it was not without significance he chose victims with learning difficulties.

The evidence showed, he said, that many of the offences had been planned.