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(Image: PA/GETTY)

John William Beaumont pretended he was a doctor in the Ministry of Defence to gain the trust of youngsters and a woman whom he later prodded with needles in their necks and genitals.

His victims were terrified they had caught deadly radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl nuclear explosion in 1986 – even though none of them had ever been to the Ukraine, where it took place.

But crafty Beaumont placed a Geiger counter – a machine which detects radiation – in his "treatment" rooms to convince "patients" they were seriously ill.

The faker claimed he was taking "samples" which would be sent off for "testing", but really he was no doctor at all.

Traumatised abuse victims kept their horrifying treatment at the hands of Beaumont secret for years.

But they finally came forward in 2014 and told police of their ordeal.

Beaumont, of Byron Road, Bury, was handed a 16-year jail term in Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to one assault and nine indecent assaults between 1986 and 1996.

He had even been convicted of similar crimes 30 years ago in Scotland.

Following sentencing, Det Const Debra Gallagher, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "In my career as a detective I have never dealt with a case as unusual as this one, and I will never comprehend how anyone could use such tragic circumstances to manipulate and abuse people.

"Beaumont went to extreme lengths to convince these victims they could have radiation poisoning by spinning a web of lies including a false identity of working for the Ministry of Defence.

"Beaumont was able to carry out these sickening assaults which were uncomfortable and painful by abusing their trust and scarring them.

"These victims had no reason to doubt him and were extremely vulnerable.

"It took huge bravery coming forward to police and words can't begin to describe what they have been through."