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Fifty years after preying on young children, including his own, a 73-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years, prompting tears and jubilation from his victims.

The self-confessed paedophile, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was sentenced today in Perth District Court for 24 crimes he committed on young girls and boys during a 15-year period in the 1960s and 1970s.

Judge Stephen Scott said the man's crimes fell into the worst category and had seen him corrupt and harm his vulnerable victims, taking away their innocence for his own pleasure.

His crimes had been perverted, forceful and left his victims in tears, with the judge suggesting he must have known the harm he was inflicting during his relentless and horrendous actions.

The Judge noted that the man had had an unblemished record at the time he was preying on the children - a circumstance that was not uncommon among paedophiles and which unfortunately meant they often failed to arouse suspicion while carrying out their crimes.

Judge Scott noted that the man had stopped only when the opportunity of offending ceased and his bid to get one of his victims to recruit other children to his home failed.

His crimes came to light after victim Cheryle Warner - who has consented to her identity being published, applied to the Government's Redress scheme.

Other victims then came forward prompting a police investigation in 2010, with the man eventually pleading guilty.

Some of his victims and a group of about 20 supporters, including members of CLAN which represents people who grew up in care, watched the sentencing and wept and cheered after the jail term was handed to the paedophile.

Outside court, they urged other victims of child sex abuse to pursue justice, no matter how late.

Judge Scott took into account the convicted man's age and ill health and made him eligible for parole after serving 14 years. The sentence was backdated to 2011.