A serial rapist was caught after he sent one of his victims – a Facebook friend request.
Gary Head, 48, indulged in “grossly indecent behaviour” with girls under the age of 10, a court heard.
His vile crimes ranged from indecent assault to rape committed on youngsters between 1974 and 2002.
But he was only caught and brought to justice after he sent a Facebook friend request to one of his former victims.
The ”horrified”’ woman recognised him and alerted police and Head, of Weymouth, Dorset, was arrested.
Following her complaint the other allegations then came to light, Gloucester Crown Court was told.
He was found guilty of a total of 20 charges of abuse including three of rape and jailed for 14 years.
Judge William Hart said: ”I have to go back to the 1970s and consider you as a youth between the ages of 11 and 15 and decide what the appropriate sentences should be.
”In the intervening 20 years I would have thought you had put such behaviour behind you, but you then raped a 14-year-old on three occasions.”