A depraved predatory "monster" who sexually abused three vulnerable teenage boys has been jailed for 12 years.

David Pritchard, 61, of HMP Hull, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court after pleading guilty to 25 counts of sexual abuse against three boys, all under the age of 16 at the time of the abuse.

The court heard that Pritchard's crimes began in Derby in 1990, where he groomed and abused a vulnerable young boy who had run away from home. He continued to abuse the boy until he was 18, threatening to kill his mother if he revealed the abuse.

Pritchard also abused two other boys in Hull and Bridlington between 2014 and 2018. He admitted to having a "sexual interest in pre-pubescent males" and told police he was "glad it had all come out so they could get it sorted."

Sentencing Pritchard, Recorder Gurdial Singh said he had "behaved like a monster" and described him as an "extremely dangerous predatory paedophile." He also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered Pritchard to sign the Sexual Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Rob O'Neill, from Humberside Police's Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: "We may have only scratched the surface with this man's offending. I feel that by highlighting his crimes and highlighting today's sentence, it might now encourage people who have been subjected to such foul and perverted behaviour to come forward."

Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse is urged to contact Humberside Police. The force has dedicated officers who are trained to handle these sensitive cases with compassion and professionalism.