Sadistic prison officer raped four women and kidnapped a series of teenage girls while posing as a policeman.

Prison Officer Jailed for Life for Raping Four Women and Kidnapping Teenage Girls

John David Hall, 35, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for a series of horrific crimes committed over an eight-year period. Hall, a former prison officer at Wakefield Prison, was convicted of five counts of rape and multiple counts of kidnapping. He preyed on vulnerable women and teenage girls, often posing as a policeman to gain their trust.

Hall's crimes included raping four women, including a prostitute and a young doctor, and attempting to rape a fifth. He also kidnapped several teenage girls, some as young as 12, using his prison officer uniform and a fake ID card to convince them he was a policeman.

During the trial, the jury heard that Hall derived pleasure from forcing his victims to have sex with him. He subjected his victims to violence, including punching one woman in the face, resulting in a double fracture to her jaw.

Mr Justice Goldring, who passed the sentence, described Hall's crimes as "sadistic" and stated that he must serve at least half of a 25-year sentence before being considered for parole. However, he made it clear that the sentence was effectively one of life imprisonment.

Hall's crimes came to light after he was arrested last year. He was first arrested in 1997 for the attack on a 17-year-old girl but was released due to insufficient evidence.

Despite his crimes, Hall appeared to live a normal life, holding a stable job within the prison service. He was married twice and had a child with his current wife. He was arrested hours after she gave birth.