Belfast paedophile is jailed for six years for abusing great nephews
A paedophile who abused his two great nephews has been jailed for six years.
The 69-year-old Belfast man had pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges involving the sexual abuse of his two great nephews.
The court heard the offences occurred when the two brothers came to stay on weekend visits to his home.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
He was also told that when eventually freed, he would be subject to an extended eight-year period of supervised licence parole.
The court heard the abuse on the first boy began in 2005 and continued until 2011 when he was aged between nine and 14.
In 2007, the man then turned his attentions to the younger brother, who was nine. In this case, the abuse continued until the boy was 12.
A prosecution lawyer told the court that the man had committed previous sex offences in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
A defence lawyer said his client had asked him "to apologise to his victims for his abhorrent behaviour over the years".
The judge said it was significant that the man had a relevant criminal record, and had just been released from prison and completed his period under licence, when he began abusing again.