An 80-year-old pervert who cruelly sexually abused three young girls in offences dating back more than five decades has been jailed for 18 years.

Mark Humphreys, of Cherry Tree Road, Tunbridge Wells, will be almost 90 before he will be eligible to even apply for parole.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he made admissions about some of his offending as long ago as 1996 but was not prosecuted because victims did not want to go ahead with it.

But the position changed for one of them in 2015 because she wanted closure.

At his trial, Humphreys, also known as Tony, accused the victims of lying and even suggested a police officer was not telling the truth.

Judge Martin Joy told him today: “You were convicted on overwhelming evidence of a course of serious sexual offences spanning a period of over 30 years.

The judge said the victim impact statements, detailing the ongoing effect on them, were “truly horrifying documents”.

Married Humphreys - described as an angry and frightening man - denied two offences of rape, four of indecency with a child, five of indecent assault and three other serious sexual offences between July 1965 and March 1996.

He was convicted of all the charges apart from one of indecent assault and one serious sexual offence.

A jury heard he took photos of one girl as he forced her to perform a sex act on him. He later burnt the pictures. He “rewarded” one girl with a ginger biscuit.

He also committed other disgusting acts with the victims.

Accepting the offences were “humiliating and degrading”, Michael Haynes, defending, said: “Mitigation is his age and the probability he may not come out of prison.

"Humphreys repeatedly subjected his victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage upon their young and later adult lives" - DC Claire Bassett

“One can well imagine the effect already the clang of the prison gates have had on him.”

Mr Haynes said if Humphreys had been prosecuted in 1996, his sentence would probably be half that under today’s laws.

Passing sentence, Judge Joy said: “You took advantage of each victim and made sure she did not tell anyone. You used violence at times, as well as threats when sexually abusing your victims.

“There were many years of your offending. It was your defence the evidence was invented and each victim had lied. Your case was there was a conspiracy between the victims to invent a false account of sexual abuse.

“Your stance does you no credit whatsoever. Each of your victims, therefore, had to relive their experience.”

The judge said there had been a complete change in the law and sentences since the offences were committed.

Humphreys, he said, would not be released until the parole board decided it was safe to do so.

Judge Joy added: “Any society which has a social care system, police system and justice system which enables an historic course of sexual conduct to be properly brought to a just conclusion, when the offences have spanned a period of 30 years, but at the same time started 50 years ago and finished 20 years ago, that society is something which can indeed be proud of.”

Humphreys’ name will appear on the sex offenders’ register and he will be banned from contact with girls under 16 as part of a sexual harm prevention order.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Claire Bassett said: "Humphreys repeatedly subjected his victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage upon their young and later adult lives.

"He is a dangerous sexual predator who also lied about his crimes and forced his victims to endure a harrowing trial, but who thankfully has now finally been punished.

"Thanks largely to the tremendous bravery of his victims, justice has now been served and Humphreys will serve a long time in prison.

"I would like to personally thank them all for having the courage to come forward and ensure this man no longer poses a threat to any other children."