A SERIAL rapist who attacked two teenagers and also molested a schoolgirl in a two-decade reign of fear has been jailed for 18 years.

Keith Goodwin, now 63, was a relentless sexual predator for 20 years, carrying out a campaign of rape and sexual assault, Burnley Crown Court heard The court was told how Goodwin, who first struck in the 1970s, was said to have intimidated his victims and used bullying tactics to ensure they kept quiet about their abuse at his hands.

He left them with ongoing difficulties in their lives because of what he had done to them.

The defendant, of Briercliffe Road, Burnley, had earlier admitted seven charges of rape and three counts of indecent assault against the first victim, indecent assault against the second and five charges of rape on the third female.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order, banning him from having any unsupervised contact with anybody under the age of 16.

Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said police became involved in April 2012.

Goodwin was questioned by officers on July 22 initially and then again on August 8. He admitted having sex with two of the victims, but denied indecently assaulting the schoolgirl. He had no previous convictions.

Jane Dagnall, for Goodwin, said: "This defendant faces the most horrific offences, offences at the top of the sexual offence calendar and he will go to jail, at the age of 63, for a substantial period of time.

“There is nothing that I can say on his behalf that will mitigate his offending, save for the fact fortunately he did not resort to any greater violence than that which was needed to commit the offences and no drugs were used or administered to carry out these terrible offences."

Miss Dagnall added: “They are victims. They are not complainants. He recognises that."

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said Goodwin had been a relentless sexual predator for 20 years and he had escaped justice for many years.

The judge said the defendant had had a total lack of any morality, but had presented a front to the world of a man of good character.

Judge Lunt told Goodwin: “Only your needs and wishes are important to you. You have enjoyed years of liberty you were not entitled to, while your victims have continued to suffer from the crimes you have committed.”