Child molester

Stephen Carruthers, 40, who is feared to have claimed up to ten young victims in less than 20 years was arrested again after attacking a ten-year-old boy in prison.

The terrified lad had been smuggled into Strangeways jail in Manchester by another child molester as a perverse birthday present for Carruthers.

The divorced father of two - already serving seven years for indecency - spent 30 minutes with the lad until guards noticed him fondling and kissing the youngster.

When police began investigating it emerged Carruthers and his accomplice had been abusing the lad and his brother on earlier occasions.

At Manchester Crown Court, Carruthers was convicted of two charges of rape, two charges of false imprisonment, two of indecent assault on a male and one of indecency with a child.

Passing sentence Judge Michael Blackburn told him: "Your project was carefully planned and boldly carried out.

"It boldly demonstrated the depth and strength of your depraved conduct."

It emerged that Carruthers, now of Stockport Road, Levenshulme, was himself raped at knifepoint as a child, which may have sparked off his years of paedophilia. His acts were carried out across several counties.

The prison incident occurred in June 1998, when Carruthers' stepfather, Gerald Frank, 79, fooled guards into believing the latest victim was Carruthers' son.

During police investigations it transpired Carruthers had earlier taken both the boy and his brother off the street into his flat and seriously sexually assaulted them behind locked doors and nailed-down windows.

Frank joined in the abuse, molesting one of the youngsters in a bedroom while the victim's unsuspecting mother was at the front door of their flat asking Carruthers if he knew where her son was.

Frank, 79, of Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, was jailed for five years at an earlier hearing after being convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Carruthers moved to the Manchester area from York in the 1990s.