John Foster jailed for sexual abuse of teenage boys over three decades

John Foster used his job as a bus driver to "groom and manipulate" his victims, Hull Crown Court heard

A retired bus driver from East Yorkshire who groomed and sexually abused four teenage boys over three decades has been jailed for 25 years.

John Foster, 78, from Wawne, also forced some of the boys to have sex with his wife while he watched them.

Following a trial at Hull Crown Court, Foster was convicted on 1 February of 27 sex offences, including rape and attempted rape.

He had left his victims with "severe psychological harm", the judge said.

Foster's wife was not fit to stand trial, the court was told.

Passing sentence, Judge Mark Bury told Foster, of May Street, he had "preyed on" the boys and had used his job as a bus driver to "groom and manipulate" his victims during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

He took them away on football and trainspotting trips where he repeatedly abused them in hotel rooms, he added.

Foster had befriended some of the victims' families and gained their trust, with the abuse being "prolonged in nature", Judge Bury said.

In court, prosecutor Tom Storey read out the impact statement of one of the victims, who had attempted to take his life at the age of 17 as a result of the abuse.

In his statement, the victim, now aged 62, said he had suffered flashbacks and had resorted to using drugs and alcohol in a bid to "escape" the traumatic memories.

He had been left with self-confidence and low self-esteem issues, as well as feelings of guilt, he said.

Hull Crown Court heard Foster had committed "atrocious offences"

That victim's younger brother was also later abused by Foster who took him on trainspotting trips and forced him to have sex with his wife while he looked on, the court heard.

Another victim "never recovered from the abuse", Judge Bury told Foster.

Foster's barrister, Dale Brooks, told the court: "Frankly, there's nothing that can be said to mitigate these atrocious offences.

"He is an elderly man, 78 years old, in poor health. He has poor mobility. A lengthy prison sentence will be particularly hard for him to endure.

"Your honour, he will die in prison. It is an obviously harrowing case."

The court heard Foster's crimes had spanned a total of five decades.

He had previous convictions for indecently assaulting a boy in 1961 and was convicted in 2009 of possessing a single indecent photograph of a child, the court was told.

Foster had denied all the charges and was acquitted of one count of indecent assault.