Gainsborough man Warren Smart jailed for child sex offences
A man who sexually abused four children has been jailed for seven and a half years.
Warren Smart admitted eight offences against the juveniles, who were aged between seven and 13 at the time.
Smart carried out the abuse between 1985 and 2011 with the first offence taking place when he was 15.
The 43-year-old, of Florence Street, Gainsborough, was also given a prevention order to restrict his movements on release.
Judge Michael Heath told Smart: "This is a case which revealed a series of pernicious sexual offences."
Smart's victims, who cannot be named, included three girls and one boy. The offences came to light when one of the girls told staff at her school.
Lincoln Crown Court heard one of his victims read out a statement, in which he described how his life had been destroyed. Another victim, in her statement, revealed how she had attempted suicide as a result of the abuse.
Judge Heath told Smart: "It is plain from the victim impact statements I have read and the one that was read out in court that what you did has had a devastating and lasting effect."
In mitigation, the court was told Smart "punished himself in his head" for what he had done and was sorry for his actions.
Smart, who previously lived in Lincoln, pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences against the four victims, including indecency with a child and engaging in sexual activity with a child.