Johannesburg - A convicted paedophile has been sentenced to 32 life sentences and 170 years in prison for 870 charges of rape and possession of child pornography.

East Rand car salesperson Warren Troy Knoop was sentenced by Judge Cassim Moosa in the High Court in Johannesburg on Monday morning.

Last Friday, Knoop wept and begged for help after he pleaded guilty to all 870 of the charges of rape and possession of child pornography.

"I can’t take back everything I have done to those people," he said.

His victims included three young girls.

Prosecutor Riana Williams told the court that Knoop’s first victim was born in 2011.

She was a year old when Knoop first fondled her. He stopped raping and sexually molesting the child when she "began talking too much", the court heard.

Williams said Knoop was worried that the young girl would tell others what he had been doing to her. She said there were images of the girl naked, her legs tied apart, while Knoop masturbated on her.

'Cry for help'

"I need help. This has been a cry for help and from here on, I can make a difference. It hurts me, but I deserve this. I need help," he told the court.

He cried as he spoke to one of his former lovers seated in the court gallery. He told her he was sorry for what he had done to her.

"I didn’t date you because you had a daughter. This darkness took over my life, left a monster that would abuse many. I am sorry," he said.

In his guilty plea, Knoop said he suffered from depression, sexual and suicidal tendencies. He admitted to having an addiction for sexual perversion and being a paedophile.

Williams also told the court that Knoop’s second victim was a 12-year-old. The girl could recall at least 12 times when she woke up to find Knoop on top of her.

This apparently happened over a period of six months. The girl tried to commit suicide in 2013, the court heard.

His third victim was 11. She could not recall the abuse and only discovered what had happened after he was arrested.

Knoop was caught when US officials found him sharing scores of videos on a website commonly accessed by paedophiles.

Several laptops, external hard drives, cellphones, memory cards, a DVD, PlayStation console, and a mini spy camera were seized from Knoop during a raid.

According to Women and Men Against Child Abuse, Knoop preyed on single mothers and their children. The anti-abuse group claimed Knoop tried to distribute these images internationally.