A MAN who sexually groomed girls as young as six told police the children had "taken advantage" of him.

Members of the four victims' families wept and screamed "monster" as sickening details of the abuse were given to Hull Crown Court yesterday.

Lance Bell, 35, of St Johns Grove, east Hull, was jailed for 15 years after admitting 19 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 13.

One of his four victims fell pregnant, the court heard.

Prosecutor Patrick Palmer told how Bell read to the court an extract from the transcript of a police interview.

He said: "The defendant told officers, 'I do not bond with children. They seem to take a liking to me and take advantage, if you know what I mean'."

The offences were carried out between 1993 and 2009.

Describing an episode of abuse on one of the girls when she was seven years old, Mr Palmer said: "She recalls him telling her he loved her. He would reassure her, telling her it was 'our secret'."

Mr Palmer told how Bell, who worked at Asda in Kingswood, once made her perform a sexual act on him.

"He told her, 'You need to do it'," said Mr Palmer.

Mr Palmer said Bell told another girl she was to blame for the abuse.

The prosecutor said: "He told this girl that he had a mental age of a 17-year-old and that he liked younger women. He said older women cheated on him."

Bell was finally arrested after one of the victims confided in her mother. Police investigations led to the other girls revealing their own ordeals.

Anil Murray, mitigating, said Bell realised a long jail term was inevitable.

However, he said reports had suggested Bell represented a low risk of reoffending and deserved full credit for his early guilty pleas.

Mr Murray said: "In this kind of case, people are reluctant to plead guilty. They are often in denial.

"This defendant has done none of this and that must be considered a first step in rehabilitation."

Sentencing, Judge Simon Jack told Bell: "Over a great many years you groomed, degraded and abused, systematically, a total of four young girls."

Outside court, an Asda worker told the Mail how Bell was first hired as a cleaner, then progressed to stacking shelves in the grocery section.

He was sacked early last year.

The worker said: "He seemed a bit slow, but a genuine guy. He was very hard working."

DC Angela Elvin, who led the investigation, said: "I would like to thank the victims for coming forward and giving evidence.

"It has been an extremely difficult process for the victims and their families."

Bell was told he must serve half of his sentence before being considered for release.

On his release, he must sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Bell is also banned from ever working with children.

Victim of Lance Bell waives anonymity to help others