A SERIAL phone pervert, who told his victims they would be kidnapped and raped unless they satisified his "sadistic" desires, has been jailed for four years.

The father-of-three Ian George Parry made more than 100 calls to victims across East Lancashire and North Manchester during a year-long reign of terror, Burnley Crown Court was told.

In one call he told a 16-year-old from Rossendale that he had kidnapped his mother Karen and ordered him to wear her underwear and stand outside the Tesco store in Rawtenstall, the court heard.

Another victim, while working at an accountancy firm in Nelson, was asked to repeat obscene words by Parry, who initially called her pretending that he was involved in a phone competition.

In other calls Parry, 48, would threaten to kidnap women, or a close relative, drug them and ensure they were "systematically raped" by a gang of strangers.

Detectives launched a major operation to snare Parry after a flood of complaints emerged regarding abusive phone calls across East Lancashire.

Eventually with the help of investigators from phone giant BT, he was caught making an offensive call at a public payphone in Rochdale.

When arrested by police, he said: "I will tell you the truth. I know I've got to tell you the truth. I think this will end my marriage. I know I should stop doing it but I can't."

Parry, of Pennine Road, Bacup,admitted eight offences of assault - causing psychological harm to his victims - and asked for 96 offences of making malicious phone calls to be considered.

Judith McCullough, prosecuting, said Parry's victims had been assessed, following the offences, by a consultant psychiatrist and most were found to be suffering from acute stress disorder, stress and anxiety, because of the phone calls.

Adam Watkins, defending, said Parry, a "mild-mannered, unassuming, polite" man, was at a loss to explain the motivation behind his offending.

Parry was adamant that no blame should be attached to his wife, who had stood by him, along with their three adult children.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Newell said: "These were not just sexual offences but there is a substantial element of verbal sadism and demeaning and humiliating behaviour."

The court heard that as an 18-year-old Parry had convictions for stealing knickers from washing lines - and was also sentenced in 1996 for making abusive phone calls over a 10-month period.