A 'psychopathic' Slovakian rapist allowed to settle in the UK has been jailed for life for sexually abusing and trafficking children as young as three in Rotherham.

Eduard Peticky travelled to England in 2008 for a 'better life' and was allowed to stay despite convictions for rape, sexual abuse and robbery in his home country.

Sentencing him yesterday, the judge condemned Peticky's crime as 'horrific' and said reports from Slovakian authorities showed he had a 'psychopathic personality'.

Rapist who settled in the UK: Eduard Peticky (left), jailed for life yesterday for sexually abusing children, had raped two women in his native Slovakia. His brother Ludovit Peticky (right) was also jailed for 12 years for offences against the same two children and a third victim, who was between 10 and 11

Peticky, 48, had been jailed in 1988 for more than eight years after raping two women in a park with two accomplices and was branded 'a dangerous repeat offender' in Slovakia.

After settling in South Yorkshire he trafficked a young girl for sex before abusing her himself, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

The youngster, who said that she was five when the incident happened, was so terrified she wet herself and was sick with fear.

Peticky also sexually abused a boy when the child was aged between three and five years old.

His brother Ludovit Peticky was jailed for 12 years for offences against the same two children and a third victim, who was between 10 and 11.

The offences took place between 2010 and 2012 in the Eastwood area of Rotherham.

'Psychopathic': Reports from Slovakian authorities said Eduard Peticky was a 'dangerous repeat offender'

In September 2013, the victims disclosed what had happened to them to a trusted adult and an investigation began.

The pair had denied the charges but were convicted of a string of sexual offences involving three children following a four-day-trial last year.

Sentencing was delayed as the authorities tried to get hold of details of the pair's previous convictions in Slovakia.

Judge Peter Kelson, QC, said the report from the Slovakian authorities indicated that Eduard Peticky was a 'particularly repeat offender' and had a 'psychopathic personality'.

Judge Kelson added: 'This was a truly horrifying incident. It is as depraved as depraved could be. It is nothing short of horrific.'

Eduard Peticky, of Rotherham, was convicted of four offences last year, trafficking for sexual exploitation, a sexual assault on a child under 13, engaging in sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard that on one occasion, Peticky took a young girl, who told the court she was five when the incident happened, to a man's house where the person attempted to have sex with her, causing the girl to wet herself and vomit in fear.

Peticky then sexually assaulted the child himself before forcing her to watch him and the other man have sex with each other in front of her.

This was a truly horrifying incident. It is as depraved as depraved could be. It is nothing short of horrific. Judge Peter Kelson, QC

Ludovit Peticky, 45 and now of Bradford, but who had lived in Rotherham at the time of the offences, was convicted last year of five counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and a further count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard how Ludovit has a mental age of around 10 - a result from being injured in a car accident.

Judge Kelson said Eduard Peticky 'poses a significant risk to members of the public' and his case was 'one of the utmost gravity'.

He sentenced him to life and he cannot be considered for parole for at least 10 years.

Judge Kelson also said the case showed the need for improvements in providing courts with details about the previous convictions of EU nationals involved in criminal proceedings in the UK.

He said the prosecution and police had 'acted with the utmost urgency in trying to obtain the relevant information'. and added 'It is now 13 months on and they have finally succeeded.

Condemned by judge: Sentencing the brothers at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Peter Kelson called the crime 'horrific' and questioned how Eduard Peticky was allowed in the UK

'It is an inevitable consequence of freedom of movement but somehow something must be done to improve the obtaining of criminal records and proof of them for criminal proceedings.'

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Ian Hampshire said: 'These young children suffered horrific abuse at the hands of these brothers over a prolonged period of time.

'The harm that they caused will stay with them forever. I am pleased the young victims found the courage to tell someone what had happened to them so that we could take swift action against the men and bring them to justice.

These young children suffered horrific abuse at the hands of these brothers. The harm that they caused will stay with them forever. Investigating Officer Detective Constable Ian Hampshire

'I hope this will encourage other victims of abuse to come forward if they feel able to and report what has happened to them in the knowledge they will be listened to and we will investigate thoroughly.'

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Foreign criminals have no place in the United Kingdom and this Government is using all the resources available to protect the British public.

'In the last five years, we have strengthened the UK's ability to request and obtain criminal records data from other countries about foreign nationals who are arrested in the UK.

'Since 2010, checks on foreign nationals going through the UK criminal justice system have increased by more than 1,000 per cent, helping ensure more foreign criminals are taken off our streets and making our communities safer.