A PREDATORY teenage paedophile created a "murder manual" and had a list of people he wanted to kill.

Harry Leigh wanted to be known as the Red Ribbon Killer of Hastings and made detailed plans to kill young girls and leave red ribbons by their bodies.

Police searched the 19-year-old’s home after he was arrested for attacking a young girl and found a murder manual, plastic sheeting, maps and a collection of knives.

After his arrest many more victims came forward who had been attacked by him.

During a five day trial at Hove Crown Court, the unemployed teenager pleaded guilty to five counts of inciting four girls aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, eight counts of causing seven girls aged between 12 and 15 to watch a sexual act and three counts of making indecent images of children in January 2018.

This included Category A content, the most serious category that exists.

Judge David Rennie told Leigh that psychiatric assessments showed he had psychopathic traits.

He said: “During their investigations police found a folder relation to a character called the Red Ribbon Killer.

“There were photos of you in that persona, there were studies of serial killers around the world, expressions of hatred against certain individuals, taunts to the police for not catching the killer before he commits his offences, a detailed map of the hunting ground where the killer was to operate, and a list of some 30 intended victims.”

He added: "You have caused untold harm."

Leigh was sentenced to eight years in jail with an extension of six years for the rape of a 15-year-old.

One of his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “It’s hard to put into words all the ways this has affected my life and who I thought I was going to be. I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin and I feel that looking at me people can always tell. I have nightmares almost every night. I can’t stuff the feelings back inside.

“I’m still full of anger and resentment at what happened. I know I’m getting better but I don’t know if I will ever feel differently.”

The jury heard that Leigh had used social media to send indecent images to young girls for five years before he was arrested.

Heather Stangoe, prosecuting, said Leigh’s offending started when he was 13-years-old and became increasingly serious.

She said that the rape included violence, adding: “There was choking around her neck. The victim’s mother spotted a bite mark on her shoulder and went straight to the police.”

Detective Sergeant Steve Shimmons said: “The behaviour demonstrated by Harry Leigh was predatory against young girls. Most of the victims were then included in his list of people he supposedly wanted to kill.”

Leigh, of Mountbatten Close, had dreamed of becoming a barrister and started a crowdfunding page to raise money for himself.

He claimed to have been offered a place to study at the National Youth Theatre.