A 'white witch ' who abused young girls , the youngest of whom was just four , over a period covering three decades , has been jailed for 22 years . Redvers 'Barney ' Barnard claimed that he was a Pagan who practiced healing 'white magic ' . But a Manchester Crown Court trial heard he was a 'terrifying ' figure who manipulated and abused young girls in Greater Manchester over a twenty-year period . Redvers Barnard , pictured , has been jailed for 22 years for abusing young girls over a three decades . The court heard that Redvers began abusing one underage victim , before raping her . Then he took indecent photographs of the youngster . She was subjected to such 'grooming and coercion ' the sex continued into her adulthood . By that time , Barnard was also abusing two other young girls . The court heard that Barnard raped one of these girls and forced the second one into lewd acts . Barnard also abused three other young girls at addresses in Salford , bringing the total number of victims to six . Barnard , 56 , formerly of Eccles , was branded a dangerous offender by the judge shortly after being found guilty of abusing his six victims , who were as young as four when the abuse began . He had denied all the offences , which stretched back to the early eighties , claiming the victims were all lying . Manchester Crown Court , pictured , heard that Barnard must serve at least two-thirds of his 22-year sentence . Barnard , who was last living in Middlesbrough , Teesside , has now been jailed for 22 years , with an extended licence period for the public protection . This means that unlike ordinary prisoners , he must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence , rather than half , and can only be released when the parole board think it is safe to do so . Even after his release , he will remain at risk of being recalled to prison until 2042 . In total , Barnard was found guilty of three rapes and sixteen indecent assaults . Sending him down , Judge Michael Henshell said Barnard , formerly known as Peter Barnard , had treated his victims as his 'sexual property ' and bullied them into keeping quiet . ' I 'm abundantly satisfied you are a dangerous individual so far as children and sexual offending is concerned . 'Throughout your life you have demonstrated you are sexually attracted to young girls . You are also highly manipulative and have used coercion . You have corrupted children and by turns terrified them ' , the judge added . Thanking the jury , the judge added : 'At a time when matters of this nature are on the news everyday ... you have seen at first-hand the ordeal faced by people recounting events from their childhood . '
Redvers Barnard claimed that he was a 'white witch ' to heal people . Manchester Crown Court heard he abused girls over three decades . One underage girl was abused by Barnard , who then took indecent photos . He was found guilty of six sex offences against 15 victims . The youngest victim was aged just four when the abuse began . He was found guilty of three rapes and 15teen indecent assaults . Barnard had pleaded not guilty and claimed that all his victims were lying .