THE most evil of offenders – that’s how a detective described Basingstoke paedophile Paul Thomas, who was this week convicted of 25 counts of various sexual offences against four young girls committed over several years.

Sick Thomas’ crimes included rape and indecent assault, and one of his victims was just eight when she was first abused.

A jury found 50-year-old Thomas, of Western Way, South Ham, guilty of 25 of the 31 charges he faced during a two-month trial at Winchester Crown Court.

A second man, Jerry Lee Howe, 40, of Dunnyshop Avenue, Accrington, Lancashire, was found guilty of three charges, including rape, invoving one girl. Both men had denied all charges.

The trial heard the crimes spanned some 15 years, from the mid-1990s to 2010, when the first victim came forward to Hampshire Constabulary. The victims were abused separately at different times and locations.

Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, said: “The victims were, the Crown say, sexually abused. They were children and some of them very young.”

A victim told the court how Thomas gave her cash and cigarettes after sexually abusing her at the age of 14.

The woman appeared in court behind a screen in the witness box, although her evidence was taken from a series of filmed police interviews.

She said she only realised that she was being abused when she started to have a relationship with someone her own age, and told him about what happened.

A jury of seven men and four women found Thomas, pictured, guilty of two multiple counts of rape against one girl that took place when she was aged 13 and 14.

He was also convicted of two other counts of rape, 11 indecent assaults, seven counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of inde-cency with a child.

Judge Andrew Barnett, adjourning the sentencing hearing until January 29, told Thomas: “Be under no illusion – when the matter comes back, you must prepare yourself for a prison sentence of some considerable length.”

Detective Inspector Scott Clarke, from Hampshire Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team, led the two-year investigation which brought Thomas and Howe to justice – and he praised the courage of the victims.

Speaking after the convictions, Det Insp Clarke said: “These men systematically abused and degraded children to the point where their victims felt their ordeal was just a part of growing up.

“It is down to the courage of the victims that these most evil of offenders have been brought to justice.

“I only hope that with the ordeal that ruined their childhoods finally over, these people can start to rebuild their lives and enjoy their first Christmas free from fear.”

He added the offending has now been referred to the Hampshire Safeguarding Children Board.

Clare Chamberlain, independent chair of the board, said: “Even though the majority of these crimes appear to have taken place many years ago, we are keen to establish the facts about this case and ensure that frontline practice and management across all agencies is able to learn from and deal effectively with these complex abuse cases.”

Thomas, who has been remanded in custody, was found not guilty of six further counts, including an indecent assault on a boy, and Howe was found not guilty of three offences involving two girls.

Two other men, Timothy Pittway, 49, and Paul Flynn, 30, both of Bath Road, Reading, were found not guilty of all child abuse charges that they faced.