Rapist Paul Tyler jailed after 11-year reign of terror

A RAPIST who preyed on vulnerable students outside East Riding College has been jailed for 16 years.

Paul Tyler lured students into the back of a white van with blacked-out windows, parked outside the college gates.

Concerned staff ended his 11-year reign of terror when they spotted his van and called police.

Detective Constable Nicky Grunning said: "Tyler is a sexual predator of the most serious and dangerous kind and there are potentially more victims out there.

"He systematically abused countless children and adults with learning difficulties, making them the most vulnerable of victims."

Tyler, 52, groomed some of the students by pretending to recruit them to sell porn DVDs before raping them in the back of his van.

He abused five victims, from teenagers to adults with learning difficulties, and repeatedly raped four of them.

Two of his victims were targeted by him on social networking site Facebook.

Tyler was caught after one victim told staff at East Riding College in St Mary's Walk, Bridlington, about their ordeal and his van was spotted outside the grounds.

Tyler, formerly of Haslemere Avenue, Bridlington, pleaded guilty on the third day of his trial at Hull Crown Court after originally denying the offences.

Some of his victims had to endure the ordeal of giving evidence before he finally admitted 11 rapes, seven counts of sexual activity with a child, an indecent assault and a sexual assault.

Judge Simon Jack jailed Tyler, who is dying of cancer, for 16 years, ordering him to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Prosecutor Patrick Palmer said: "He committed a series of rapes and sexual offences on a number of disadvantaged males and a girl over a number of years. He used the pretext of asking for their help in selling and distributing porn DVDs or he bribed them with gifts of DVDs.

"In some instances, he would pick them up in his van, which had blacked-out windows, and commit offences against them in the back of his van.

"Matters came to light when staff at the college became concerned about a man meeting students or arranging to meet them outside the college."

Tyler's victims included a 30-year-old man with learning difficulties, three boys aged 17, 15 and 13 and a 10-year-old girl.

The 17-year-old boy told teachers at the college he "wanted it to stop" after saying Tyler was forcing him to do things against his will.

Mr Palmer said: "He told the teachers the man phoned him and gave him things and he was afraid because he waited for him when he left college.

"Another student said it was the same man who did things to him when he was 13."

As the net closed in on Tyler, one victim told detectives: "I tried to push him away but I couldn't.

"I didn't know what else to do. He would always try to pressure me to go to his van.

"I was too scared to tell anyone."

The court heard Tyler lured his male victims to his van by offering them a job selling porn DVDs for him but once inside, he locked the door and abused them.

Some were offered money and others were threatened with violence not to tell anyone.

He would then lie in wait for them and stalk them around the resort.

Tyler gave a 10-year-old girl £50 to keep quiet after abusing her.

On his arrest, Tyler's wife searched through his personal belongings and discovered "unsavoury" Facebook conversations he had been having with two boys.

He had sexually assaulted one boy in a field and paid him £10 to keep quiet. In the case of his 13-year-old victim, Tyler threatened to hurt him and warned him he would never see his parents again if he told anyone.

Detectives believe Tyler has been offending for decades and there are more victims still to come forward.

Det Con Grunning said: "All these victims have been dramatically affected by the abuse they have suffered at his hands and will live with the lasting effects of this for the rest of their lives.

"It is likely Tyler has been offending for decades and there will be further victims who have not as yet come forward. I would encourage these people to contact the police.

"I would like to praise the victims who have come forward and who provided accounts of their terrible ordeals. They were exceptionally brave."