A "sinister" sex fiend who raped then blackmailed boys as young as 12 during a sickening "campaign of atrocities" has been jailed for 20 years.

George Parker, 28, groomed and raped three young lads after "infiltrating the heart" of their families.

Parker conducted the "systematic" rapes on a "near constant" basis over eight years.

He repeatedly assaulted the friends - and later blackmailed them to comply.

Francesca Levett, prosecuting, told Maidstone Crown Court that his victims were left 'severely traumatised' by the former Sainsbury's worker.

She said: "The smiling friend of the family was a very different character behind closed doors. This was a grave crime."

The victims and their families sat in the gallery as the prosecutor read details of 21 separate acts Parker committed.

Ms Levett said one victim was told by Parker that his family would disown him.

She said: "Isolated, he could not share his experience with anyone - and was forced to go to the cinema and act like it was normal."

Parker, who refused to leave his prison cell and was not present for the sentencing hearing, abused the boy for six years, inflicting 'too many attacks to count'.

"In a sinister manner, the victims were told they would be exposed by those that love him as being gay if he spoke out..." - Judge Phillip Statman

The prosecutor said: "This was a sustained incident, it was grooming and extreme abuse of trust. It is the highest category of sexual offences."

One victim was targeted with fake sexual messages which Parker used to blackmail the boy into committing to 'countless sexual acts'.

The court heard how the attacker ploughed his victim with alcohol, before forcing him to play Fifa and moving onto porn.

Ms Levett said: "There was a significant degree of planning - again it was the playing of video games to attract his victim.

The third victim was attacked when Parker invited him to play Fifa.

Parker, now of Leeds, failed to turn up to court as he was sentenced for "a campaign of systematic rape" against boys.

He had been found guilty of the charges in December following a three-week trial - when a jury convicted him on all 21 counts.

John Cammegh, in mitigation said: "The maximum sentence for this case is 19 years, it is not a million miles away from the sentence I advised my client he would get.

"The offending started at a young age, it developed a momentum of its own - it was not challenged. My client was terrified of prison and sought to pull the wool over the eyes of the court.

"The dock is empty, I'm doing the best I can, it would seem a brief letter in which he states he claims the proceedings have taken a toll on his mental health - no medical information supports this."

His Honour Judge Phillip Statman said: "George Parker is not present in court, he has indicated that he does not wish to attend.

"He has been convicted by a jury of 21 counts of sexual offending against three separate victims. The indictment spans a period.

"In a sinister manner, the victims were told they would be exposed by those that love him as being gay if they spoke out.

"This case has many of the hallmarks of historic sex offending.

"The defendant was manipulative and devious.

"The defendant isn't here today - there is a wilful refusal. I will look at this in great care. This is a very difficult sentence to pass.

"What makes this case is the blackmail, the use of the internet in the way the victims were abused - this demands a very substantial term of imprisonment.

"These grave crimes were committed against these victims over an extended period of time, I am satisfied that an extended sentence will be put in place.”

There was a sigh of relief from the gallery as Parker was jailed for a total of 20 years, with two years on licence.

A sexual harm prevention order is to be written up and his name will remain on the Sexual Offences Register for life.

Speaking afterwards, one of the victims said he was happy with the sentence, calling it "justice done".

He said: “The sentence today reflects what he has done.

"It is just a shame I couldn’t see him jailed.”