A 70-year-old serial sex offender has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexually abusing four young girls over a period of three decades.

Michael Grimes, of Croft Green, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of child abuse. The judge described his actions as "beyond normal human comprehension," calling them "vile, despicable, and perverted."

Grimes was caught after police discovered his IP address was being used to download indecent images of children. A subsequent raid of his home uncovered over 4,600 indecent images of children and babies, including nearly 1,000 of the most severe category.

Following the discovery, four women came forward to report that they had been sexually abused by Grimes. The abuse spanned a period of approximately 30 years.

In addition to his prison sentence, Grimes was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. He will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.