'I felt like an absolute monster': Yorkshire child rapist confessed to sexually abusing seven boys and girls

Oliver Smith admitted to sexually abusing children aged as a young as two years old after one of his victims found the courage to report the abuse.

Smith, 25, was locked up for 13 years after he pleaded guilty to 20 sex offences committed against seven victims.

Leeds Crown Court heard Smith was himself a youth when he first preyed on victims but continued to offend when he became an adult.

One of Smith's victims sobbed in the witness box as she read a statement to the court.

She described the impact Smith's offending has had since he abused her when she was aged around seven years old.

She said: "He made me feel like the smallest person in the world.

"Everyone thought he was Mr Perfect. I felt controlled by him.

"It took me more than seven years to say something.

"I had to grow up very quickly and I lost my childhood."

Smith's offending came to light when one of the victims told her mother about what Smith had done to her as a child and police were contacted.

Smith handed himself in to police and confessed to being responsible for abusing more victims.

The defendant was released on bail between interviews so officers could trace those named by Smith.

Smith fled but was arrested in Cornwall and returned to Yorkshire then remanded in custody.

Michael Morley, prosecuting, told the court how Smith had committed offences against four boys and three girls on multiple occasions over almost a decade.

He said: "The defendant when interviewed said 'I just felt like an absolute monster when anything happened. But I it didn't stop it.'"

Smith pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape of a child under 13, six of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, three of sexual assault of a child under 13 and two of sexual activity with a child under 13.

The offending took place in Doncaster.

Abigail Langford, mitigating, said many of the charges were a result of Smith's admissions to the police.

The court heard two of the victims could not recall the offences taking place because they were so young.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Simon Phillips, QC, said: "You, Oliver Smith, have committed a series of serious sexual assaults against a number of young people over many years.

"Your offending has involved grooming behaviour. Some has been opportunistic. Some has been concerted and sustained.

"You have acted in a controlling way towards these young people and been intimidating towards them.

"You have exploited their relative youth and nativity.

"The offending has happened over many years.

"It is a clear and entrenched pattern of deviant behaviour on your part."