Britain's worst paedophile who attacked hundreds of children in south-east Asia and used the 'dark web' to crowd-fund his abuse is facing 22 life sentences.
Richard Huckle, 30, targeted a poverty-stricken Christian community in Malaysia, where he posed as a photographer and English teacher to win the trust of his victims' parents.
The former grammar school boy, who came from a middle class family in Kent, took pictures and videos of himself raping and abusing young children and even a baby wearing a nappy.
Huckle bragged of the attacks in online blogs and penned a sick 60-page 'handbook' titled 'Pedophiles & Poverty: Child Lover Guide'.
During his nine years of offending, he forced victims to pose with horrific slogans advertising his foul images, which he sold for Bitcoins on a notorious paedophile website on the dark web - the encrypted version of the internet.
As part of an international network, Huckle awarded himself 'PedoPoints' for carrying out the attacks and used a paedophile crowdfunding website to finance the abuse.
The case can be reported for the first time today after Judge Peter Rook QC lifted reporting restrictions at the start of a three-day sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey.
Huckle, originally from Ashford, faces up to 22 life sentences after admitting to 71 charges, including rape, sexual assault, and sexual activity with a child.
It took more than an hour for the charges to be put to Huckle at an earlier hearing, in what is believed to be the worst case of its kind.
He appeared in the dock today wearing a black shirt, with his long hair tied back into a ponytail and sporting a goatee beard.
The charges relate to the horrific sexual abuse of 23 girls and boys aged between six months and 12 years. Some 22 of the victims are from Malaysia while one is Cambodian.
Canary Updates
By RICHARD SPILLETT
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