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This is the first look inside the 'house of horrors' where Ohio kidnapper Ariel Castro kept three women captive for over a decade.

The disturbing images show the run-down house on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland where Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were imprisoned, raped and beaten.

The pictures have been shown as evidence at the sentencing of Castro, 53, who pleaded guilty to 937 criminal charges including multiple counts of kidnapping and rape.

He is expected to be jailed for life with an additional 1,000 years today, after striking a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Some of the pictures show the room Ms Berry shared with her daughter, who was fathered by Castro.

The doors are shown to have no handles and no access from inside, while the windows were boarded up and the walls had kids drawings pinned on.

The court was also shown photographs of the room Ms DeJesus shared with Ms Knight.

The room had pink walls and a little drawing with word "love" above bed. The windows were also covered and there was a small toilet.

Other deeply disturbing items were shown, including a motorcycle helmet Castro used on his rape victims to muffle their screams.

The court was also shown images of a suicide note written by Castro, in which he claims to be mentally ill and details his life as a sexual predator.