Locations
Ford Park Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL4
Description
A paedophile who boasted of beating his own "record" of sexually abusing 142 boys in a year, has been given a life sentence at Plymouth Crown Court.
William Goad, 60, of Ford Park Road, Plymouth, was described in court as a "voracious, calculating, predatory and violent" paedophile.
Goad had pleaded guilty to 14 specimen counts of serious sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault.
The first count of abuse admitted by Goad took place in 1965.
Goad also received a concurrent 12-month sentence for obtaining a passport by deception in 1998.
"It is believed there has been no single defendant with more victims that this man" Martin Meeke QC.
He had admitted obtaining a passport by deception "with a view to escaping from this country and escaping the consequences of what he had done", the court was told.
Martin Meeke QC, prosecuting, said Goad groomed his victims by offering them well-paid jobs in his shop and inviting them back to his home.
The court was told he once boasted of beating his own "record" of sexually abusing 142 boys in one year - a claim denied by the defendant.
Mr Meeke said Goad abused some of his victims three to four times a week for two to three years.
He said: "Goad has been a voracious, calculating, predatory and violent paedophile for 40 years.
"It is believed there has been no single defendant with more victims than this man."
'Life means life'
Goad claimed he had himself been sexually abused at school, but he refused to help a police investigation into the allegations.
Passing sentence, Judge William Taylor said Goad was a "dangerous paedophile".
He gave Goad credit for pleading guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing in September, but said he was in no doubt that Goad posed an ongoing serious danger to young men.
Judge Taylor said: "I make it as plain as I can that you will not be released until the authorities are perfectly satisfied that you no longer pose any threat to anyone.
"It may well mean in your case life will mean just that."
The hearing was regularly punctuated with angry shouts from the public gallery, which was packed with Goad's victims and their families.