A 63-year-old paedophile has been jailed for 14 years for the systematic sexual abuse of vulnerable boys.

Barry McNulty was convicted at Leeds Crown Court yesterday of raping and molesting the youngsters when he lived in Keighley over a period of 15 years.

McNulty, now of Wingfield Nursing Home, Bingley, was found guilty by a jury of two offences of rape, five of indecent assault, five of indecency with a male child, three of sexual activity with a boy under 16 and two sexual assaults on boys.

The offences took place between 1993 and 2009.

Along with the jail sentence, McNulty was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme told wheelchair-bound McNulty that he had preyed on vulnerable boys.

After the case, Detective Constable Alison Hanson, who jointly led the police investigation, said the offences had spanned 15 years and involved three teenage boys.

Det Con Hanson, of Airedale and North Bradford CID, said the offences began when the boys were aged 12 or 13 and took place at McNulty’s home.

She said: “This was a history of abuse over a number of years relating to two vulnerable teenage boys. Two of them had recognised learning difficulties.

“They visited him at his home after he befriended them. He let them play PlayStation games and after gaining their trust he abused them.

“He preyed on their naivety and vulnerability. The judge said McNulty preyed on vulnerable boys and we would echo that.”

Det Con Hanson said the offences came to light when the third victim told his mother about them and she alerted police.

She added: “The convictions are a good result for all the families involved and we are pleased with the outcome.”

In July 2009, McNulty was savagely attacked in his sheltered accommodation in Keighley by a man who accused him of being a paedophile.

His attacker, John Bennett, 28, of Strong Close, Keighley, had been told that McNulty had molested a boy. Bennett was jailed for six years in November, 2009, for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.