A man described as "the most prolific rapist in British legal history" has been sentenced to life in prison with a possible release after 30 years following his conviction for sexual offences against 48 men.

Authorities said the evidence against 36-year-old Reynhard Sinaga indicates he had many more victims, with roughly 195 men apparently having been filmed while being abused when they were in his apartment. Many were unconscious at the time.

Judge Suzanne Goddard said in Manchester Crown Court the true number of Sinaga's victims may never be known.

"You are an evil serial sexual predator who has preyed upon young men who came into the city centre wanting nothing more than a good night out with their friends," she said. "One of your victims described you as a monster. The scale and enormity of your offending confirms this as an accurate description."

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She said the courts had rarely if ever seen such a prolonged "campaign of rape." Reporting restrictions that had prevented the publication of Sinaga's name were lifted Monday.

Prosecutors say Sinaga had a non-threatening manner. He befriended young men, including many who were intoxicated after a night out, and offered them a place to stay at his apartment. He filmed many of the forced sexual encounters.

AP Reynhard Sinaga, the man described as 'the most prolific rapist in British legal history'.

Prosecutor Ian Rushton said many victims initially thanked Sinaga for offering them accommodation.

"But once back at his flat, he used victims as objects purely for his own gratification," Rushton said.

Sinaga arrived in Britain from his native Indonesia on a student visa in 2007. He received two degrees in sociology and planning from the University of Manchester and was studying for his PhD at the University of Leeds when he was suspended following his arrest in 2017.

His thesis was called: "Sexuality and everyday transnationalism. South Asian gay and bisexual men in Manchester."

His Manchester church offered a statement in support of his character that did not seem to sway the judge.

"It is almost beyond belief that someone who could profess some Christian faith could at the same time have been committing such wicked and evil crimes," she said.