A violent pervert who raped two young girls nearly four decades ago could die in jail after he was locked up for 18 years.

Ronald Bartholomew violated one girl while threatening to kill her after taking her and two others to a wood in Blue Bell Hill and isolating her.

Bartholomew, formerly of Wainscott, admitted two offences of rape and nine of indecent assault dating back to the late 1970s.

His lawyer, Simon Reevell, said the 67-year-old was in poor health and had closed his front door in Eastfield, Scarborough, where he now lives, “with the expectation of not opening it again”.

A judge told the pensioner, who has previous convictions for indecency, he would have to serve half of the sentence before the parole board would consider whether it was safe to release him.

Judge Jeremy Carey said Batholomew had molested and abused the victims “in the most invasive and disgusting manner”.

Maidstone Crown Court heard one of the girls first complained she had been abused by him when she was 18 but it was not pursued.

Prosecutor Amanda Hamilton said Bartholomew would play with the girls, giving them piggybacks so that he could molest them.

He raped one of them after taking her and two other girls for a drive and took her to a secluded spot where he stripped off her clothes, including a swimming costume.

Miss Hamilton said of the “forceful” rape: “She was terrified. She screamed as loudly as she could. He told her to shut up, put his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her.

“She had heard he had been in prison for stabbing a woman, which wasn’t true. She was shocked. She tried to run away but he grabbed her wrist.”

A woman came along on a horse and asked if everything was alright. He replied it was and he was looking for two other children.

The girl was described by one of the others as “looking shocked like a startled baby”.

The victim did not tell anybody because she feared she would be killed. She told a teacher about the abuse during a lesson about not talking to strangers and abduction.

The police went to her home but her mother said she was known to be a liar.

Miss Hamilton said Bartholomew repeatedly assaulted the other girl and raped her on one occasion. He threatened to also kill her if she told anybody.

After he raped her she “lay on the floor crying silently and sucking her thumb”.

While playing with girls, he lined them up and said: “Who’s first?”

Bartholomew was jailed for three years in 1975 for attempted grievous bodily harm when he struck a woman on the back with a knife with intent to kill her.

The year before he was given six months for molesting a woman and in 1988 four months for indecently assaulting a girl in a garage.

Both victims told in statements how they felt robbed of their childhood. The woman raped at Blue Bell Hill said because of what happened she never wore a swimsuit again.

"No amount of words can describe what he did to me all those years ago" - one of Bartholomew's victims

Judge Carey told Bartholomew, as he listened with the help of a hearing loop, the victim remembered it vividly and would never forget it.

Terming it “appalling sexual wrongdoing”, the judge said both victims had suffered greatly.

One said: “No amount of words can describe what he did to me all those years ago.” She was haunted with the images for nearly 40 years.

Judge Carey said Bartholomew had led an unblemished life since the late 1980s.

But he added as Bartholomew held onto the dock rail for support: “The seriousness of this case is grave. You are by law an offender of concern.”

For that reason, an extra year of licence was added to the sentence.

A sexual harm prevention order was made and Bartholomew’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for life.

After sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Wendy Epps said: "This was an appalling crime by a man who inflicted both physical and emotional pain on two young children over a long time.

"This has been extremely hard for the victims and I would like to praise them for their courage and bravery in speaking out against this vile individual.

"Kent Police will always take offences seriously and will investigate any allegations no matter the length of time passed.

"Batholomew may have thought he got away with this disgusting behaviour but justice has finally been served and will hopefully bring some form of closure for these victims."