SURVIVORS of child sex offences confronted their abuser in court as he was handed a 40-year sentence.

Mark Burgess, 68, of St Chad's Avenue, Portsmouth, was branded a "conniving and exploitative serial paedophile" at the city's crown court.

Burgess, who abused children over a period of nearly four decades, will spend at least 21 years in jail before being considered for parole.

He was charged with offences relating to 13 children, all of whom were under the age of 16 during his time as a choirmaster at All Saints Church in Portsmouth and St John's Church in Westbourne, Sussex.

He was found guilty on May 28 following a lengthy trial.

Burgess was convicted of 26 counts of indecent assault, 15 counts of gross indecency with a child, four counts of buggery, one count of attempted indecent assault, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

During the trial Portsmouth Crown Court heard Burgess had previously been a music teacher as well as a choir master.

He taught at Portsmouth City Boys’ School as well as running choirs at the two churches.

A police spokesperson said: "The court heard that, over the years, his attention became ‘fixed’ on a series of children.

"Burgess then took advantage of his positions in the school and choir settings in order to get closer to these children and draw them, and sometimes their families, into his trust.

"These children were then sexually abused by Burgess, with assaults taking place during piano lessons at Burgess’s home, the church vestry, Burgess’s car, on choir trips and in the school music room.

"After decades of keeping this a secret, the children – all now adults – found the confidence to report this abuse to the police.

"In emotive statements read out in court, the survivors told of the damage Burgess had inflicted on so many lives, with one describing his abuser as a ‘festering, rancid boil’.

"Others spoke of how Burgess manipulated, groomed, charmed and bribed his way into their lives for his own sexual pleasure, and labelled him abhorrent, deplorable, calculating and despicable.

"One survivor told how the abuse at Burgess’s hands had affected her passion for music.

"In a statement, she said: 'This person helped me use my voice to make beautiful music, but I would become too ashamed to ever use it again'.

"Another, who was abused at the age of 13, told the court: 'You took a bright, naïve, funny, energetic child and you destroyed all of that in the most cynical and vile way'."

Passing sentence, Judge William Ashworth commended the survivors for coming forward and commented on the "dignity, restraint and stunning openness" in which they spoke about their experiences.

Following the hearing Detective Inspector Adam Edwards said: “Burgess made a choice to exploit his position and manipulate certain scenarios that would give him the opportunity to carry out these heinous and evil acts.

“These were young children, and he deliberately preyed on their naivety for his own sordid agenda.

“He is now behind bars, where he belongs, for a very long time.

“The survivors have shown an incredible amount of bravery and strength throughout this entire process, which has ensured that the cowardly man who sat in the dock can’t hurt another person again.

“Their courage is to be commended. I am pleased that justice has now been served and these brave individuals have had their voices heard after years of keeping this abuse secret.”

An NSPCC spokesperson added: “Burgess brutally abused his position of trust at the cruel expense of his victims’ wellbeing.

“This case shows that perpetrators of child abuse can be brought to justice, no matter how long ago or who they are, and we hope that this sentencing allows the survivors to move on with their lives.”

Andrea Hills, CPS Wessex Senior Crown Prosecutor, said: “Burgess demonstrated a repeated pattern of manipulative behaviour over a substantial period of time.  

“He manipulated the young victims to such an extent that they felt either the abuse was part and parcel of being in a choir, or that they owed him for all of the treats, favours and special treatment that he afforded them.  

“The CPS were able to able to build a strong case against Burgess using the brave testimonies of the victims to prove that he had been sexually abusing children for a very long time.

“I would like to pay tribute to all of the victims who have come forward to support this complex and lengthy prosecution.  

“It is understandable that they will have endured decades of guilt and shame as a result of the horrific abuse that Burgess was responsible for committing, and I hope that today’s sentence will bring a measure of comfort to them.”