DESCRIBED by Judge Christopher Elwen as an "evil, deviant and deceitful individual," 37-year-old Martin McKeon was jailed for an indefinite period at Truro Crown Court on Friday.

A former worker in the building industry, McKeon was convicted by a jury following an eight-day trial in August of three specimen charges of rape and four other serious sexual offences against two girls under the age of 13 committed while living in the Launceston area.

Judge Elwen told McKeon that he must serve at least eight years before he can be considered by the Parole Board for release on licence.

"Only when the Parole Board is satisfied that you need no longer be confined in custody for the protection of the public will it be able to order your release," he declared. "Until it is so satisfied you will remain in prison."

Pointing out that some of the abuse had been accompanied by threats intended to procure silence, the Judge said: "Your defence, rejected by the jury, was that the complaints were malicious allegations contrived with the aim of having you falsely convicted.

"The jury must have found that you were the liar. Your ultimate lie was particularly evil and only exposed by the quick thinking and diligence of the officers in the case.

"You asserted during cross examination that you had prominent tattoos on the front of your thighs on either side of your genitals which the girls must have seen during at least some of the sexual activity which they were saying quite falsely had taken place.

"The tattoos do indeed exist. But as the tattooist, a fellow remand prisoner, testified, they were put on your thighs just weeks before your trial. He later learned that your intention was to assert that they had been in existence for a number of years.

"It is difficult to think of a more malignant act to contrive an acquittal which would not only have left the young girls even more psychologically damaged than they already are but also have seriously besmirched their reputations."

Judge Elwen revealed that the author of a pre-sentence report was of the opinion that McKeon posed a high risk of re-offending and was likely to commit further sexual or violent offences because: (1) he had a history of violent relationships and with vulnerable partners; (2) the offences involved a planned and sustained assault over a number of years and; (3) he had no victim empathy and in fact saw himself as the victim of the machinations of others.

A psychologist also considered that McKeon was at serious risk of causing harm to children and potentially adult women both now and in the future.

"In the light of that it is this court's assessment that you are an evil, deviant and deceitful individual who fits exactly the statutory definition of a dangerous offender," said the Judge.

In sentencing McKeon, Judge Elwen said that if he was released on conditional licence he would be in danger of being recalled to custody if the authorities thought it expedient to do so in the public interest.

He declined to order that the period McKeon had already spent in jail, nearly a year, should not count towards his sentence.

McKeon will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

When McKeon attempted to speak he was interrupted by Judge Elwen, who commented: "We heard all these fantasies during the trial and the jury failed to believe them."

The Judge then ordered that McKeon, who had stood with his arms folded throughout, should be taken from the dock down to the cells.

Det Sgt Peter Found, who led the team investigating the case, said afterwards that they were happy with the outcome. "McKeon is a highly dangerous man who committed serious crimes," he declared. "He showed absolutely no remorse or empathy towards his victims who showed great courage and bravery throughout the court process."