Sick swimming instructor Gary Froggatt, of Ladywood Road, Kirk Hallam, was found guilty of 17 counts of sexual abuse, including indecent assault.

The offences, which stretched back to the early 1980s, were carried out on three different boys – one as young as six – who he used to take for swimming lessons.

Speaking outside the court, the father of one of the victims said: "I don't want any vengeance – there are no winners.

"I'm glad the boys have got the right verdict. They can move on now.

"It's obviously had a knock-on effect on his life with the drugs – he was trying to block it out, I guess."

The victim's sister said: "You can't help feeling guilty about not knowing anything before.

"It's only just starting to really hit home now. I think it's going to take a long time to heal."

Derby Crown Court heard the 56-year-old former lifeguard repeatedly abused two of the boys, now aged 34, during the 1980s and 1990s.

They were abused at Froggatt's former home in Sandiacre after he had taken them for swimming lessons.

They told the court via video link that, after a while, he had stopped taking them for swimming lessons at all, abusing them at his home, while making their mothers believe he had been swimming with them.

The third victim, who is now 27-years-old, was abused at Froggatt's home in the early 1990s, aged eight.

All three had problems with drugs following the start of the sexual abuse.

The victims had spoken to family members about the abuse in the past, but had not felt ready to go to police until 2008.

After the verdict on Tuesday, Judge Andrew Hamilton told Froggatt he had 'ruined the lives' of his victims.

He said: "You have committed the most serious offences.
"You have clearly destroyed the lives of three young people who you abused from a young age.

"It was a most wicked thing to do.

"You are facing a very long term of imprisonment."

Addressing the jury he said: "People like him, and him in particular, are a serious danger to young people and clearly should be nowhere near them.

"Hopefully by the time he is released he will be so old he will not be a danger to children anymore."

He said he expected the sentence to be 'in double figures'.

Police searched Froggatt's computer, finding 38 images 'of significance'.

Although the pictures were legal, they included photographs of young boys.

He claimed internet searches for related topics were merely typing practice and police had 'cherry-picked' images which put him in a bad light.

Froggatt was found not guilty of five charges relating to the boys.

He will be sentenced in three weeks' time at Derby Crown Court.