A 23-year-old man has been jailed for 10 years for repeatedly raping two young brothers.

Jeremy Roberts, 23, of Borehamwood, north London, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of rape over eight years on the two boys.

His conduct, which the judge called “devastating”, was discovered when the younger brother told his school rabbinical counsellor he had been offered money to perform a sexual act on a man.

The elder brother, when asked by police why he allowed the abuse to continue, replied: “Emotional force, blackmail, physical force.”

The child detailed one occasion when his duvet cover was ripped off him and explained he was scared that knowledge of the abuse would bring shame on his family.

'He had medical and behavioural problems’, court told

Roberts, who wore a kippah as he was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court, also admitted five counts of possessing indecent photographs of children, many reaching four out of five on indices of indecency.

Some of the photographs were discovered by the children’s father on a mobile phone which was one of the “treats” the children were bribed with to perform sex acts.

His defence counsel described how Roberts, when aged 13, spent time in a psychiatric unit, where he was subjected to sexual violence. Roberts suffers from ADHD, depression and spina bifida and underwent bariatric surgery to deal with weight problems at a young age.

He was described as having “behavioural problems resulting from his many medical problems.”

A toxicologist report suggested that his medication, including “repeated dosing with amphetamines” may have lead to increased libido and lack of rational judgment in regard to a small number of the offences.

Roberts is now married and his wife, who attended the hearings, was described as “strongly supporting” him in his admission of guilt, despite having to make a difficult decision that they will now not have children.

Handing down the prison sentence, along with stringent controls over any contact between Roberts and anyone under 16, the judge spoke of the “devastating mark” that was left on the family he abused.

He said: “In the pursuit of your own sexual pleasure you have ruined many, many, many, many lives.”