Douglas stepfather jailed over sex abuse
A man who sexually abused his four stepchildren has been jailed for 18 years at Douglas Courthouse.
The 58-year-old, from Douglas on the Isle of Man, was found guilty of more than 30 counts of serious sexual abuse on Friday.
The offences were committed over a 10-year period between 1974 and 1984, when the victims, three females and a male, were aged between four and 17.
Deemster David Turner said the man had "murdered their childhoods."
The Isle of Man police said the victims had been subjected to years of serious sexual abuse as well as physical violence, threats and intimidation to stop them reporting the crimes.
The sexual abuse consisted of some of the most degrading sexual acts, said police.
The force said the defendant even told the children their mother would be shot if they spoke out.
Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp Phil Shimmin said: "This is undoubtedly the worst case of horrific and sustained sexual abuse upon children I have ever seen.
"The level of violence, humiliation and degradation inflicted by the defendant shows him to be an evil man who used extreme sexual, physical and emotional violence to exert control over his victims for his own sexual gratification."
One of the victims, speaking on behalf of them all, said: "After all these years it has been such a relief that our complaints were believed after our childhood was taken away from us.
"For many years it has been a heavy burden for each of us to carry - that we were sexually abused.
"We are all very pleased with the result and we can now close that chapter and can move on with our lives."