A PAEDOPHILE who repeatedly abused children in what a judge described as "a catalogue of perversion" has been jailed for life.

Gary Ball, 51, of Rubens Close, Newport, subjected his two victims to a series of "the gravest possible" sexual assaults, a court heard.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Friday how one victim was “psychologically scarred for life” while another was “infected with guilt”, Judge Neil Bidder QC told the court. Both described him as a monster.

Judge Bidder said Ball had “perverted tendencies” and the offences he committed were “depraved”.

Ball continued to maintain his innocence after a jury convicted him of four counts of serious sexual assault, four charges of rape, two counts of indecency with a child and eight indecent assaults charges.

Jailing him for life, Judge Bidder said: “You have been convicted by a jury of a series of the gravest possible sexual offences. They were completely disgusting sexual acts performed on them.

“It’s a catalogue of perversion. You also made them perform perverted acts on you. Both victims described you independently as a monster.

“You are a high risk of future sexual offences and causing sexual harm to children.”

His barrister, Ieuan Bennett, did not offer any mitigation in court although Judge Bidder was given a pre-sentence report.

The judge imposed concurrent life sentences for the serious sexual assault and rape charges, with concurrent custodial sentences ranging from 18 months and seven years for the remaining charges.

Judge Bidder said Ball would have to serve a minimum of 13 years and 343 days before he can be considered for parole.

He was banned from working with children indefinitely and will have to be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Crown prosecutor Caroline Rees said after the hearing: “The life sentence properly reflects the seriousness of the offending.”