A PREDATORY paedophile has been jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 11 years, at Isleworth Crown Court for historical sexual offences against young girls.

Eldred Makabali, 62 of Ealing was convicted in March this year of 25 counts of sexual offences including the rape of girls as young as four years of age.

The offences took place at residential address in Hounslow and Ealing between 1982 and 2005.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service Child Abuse Investigation Command began an investigation into Makabali in January 2012 following allegations made to them by four of his victims.

Following further investigation, six more victims came forward and Makabali was arrested in March 2012 and later charged.

The court heard how Makabali would trick his victims, who were all between the ages of four and 14 at the time of the offences, by pretending to hypnotise them or on the pretext of giving them a massage.

Makabali refused to plead guilty and forced his victims to relive their ordeal during the court proceedings.

Detective Sergeant Tim Bramley of the MPS Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command said: "Makabali is a truly wicked man. He is a serial sex attacker who carried out his assaults on young girls over decades. We have suspicions that he continued to abuse up until the time he was arrested and I would urge any victims to come forward.

"I would like to pay tribute to the courage of victims who reported him to police in order to stop him and prevent other victims suffering abuse at his hands. I hope the knowledge that he now faces a considerable time behind bars and has been removed from being in a position to continue to abuse will bring them some comfort."

Anyone with information should contact the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Team on 020 8246 1901 or to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.