Locations
Seafield Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3
Description
A "predatory and manipulative" carer who sexually abused seven boys over an 11-year-period has been jailed for 17 years.
Benjamin Mercer, 41, abused boys as young as five years old in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, and another in Newquay, Cornwall, during the 1990s and 2000.
He was found guilty of 13 charges including rape, which he denied, following a trial at Hull Crown Court.
Police believe there may be more victims and urged them to come forward.
The court heard how Mercer, of Seafield Road, Hove, East Sussex, took sexual advantage of two boys while they slept.
He systematically raped a boy, who reported "terrible pain", up to three times a week for almost four years.
Mercer, who grew up in Hornsea, started abusing boys from the age of 15.
He was known as "cool Ben" because of his clothes and would take the boys to the park and the beach, as well as on fishing and clay pigeon shooting trips, the jury was told.
'Sleeping with a knife'
The jury heard how the carer had "groomed" one of his victims, giving him cannabis at age of 12 and then alcohol at the age of 13.
Sentencing him, Judge Tremberg told Mercer: "You have been predatory and manipulative and viewed your victims as objects, putting your needs and desires over their welfare.
"You exhibited a capacity to act with premeditation and opportunistically. You tested these young boys to see how vulnerable they were.
The judge described how one of the victims "ended up sleeping with a knife under his pillow and contemplated suicide".
"He bore the secret and shame of what you did, which has been ruinous. It caused deep-seated emotional suffering and physical harm."
'Sexual predator'
Mercer was arrested in Hornsea in 1998 but police said there was "insufficient evidence to charge him with any offences at that time".
He continued to abuse again, the court heard.
After his arrest he moved to Newquay and then to the Brighton area in 2000.
It was only after further reports of abuse that police carried out a full investigation in March last year.
Det Insp Emma Heatley, of Humberside Police, said: "He is clearly a sexual predator and we believe there may be more victims of Mercer over the last 20 years.
"We would encourage any further victims of Mercer... to come forward and call the police, so that we can ensure he is brought justice for all his offending."