A child-sex predator who raped two young girls and made them pregnant was today beginning a 12-year jail term.

And the mother of one of Paul Hill's victims today said she hoped he rotted in hell for what he had done to the girls, aged 12 and 13 when the attacks began.

Police described Hill, 37, as despicable and said he worked hard to cover his tracks -- taking his victims, who lived in Burnley and Darwen, to hospital to have abortions.

He even pretended to be the uncle of one of the girls

to persuade medical staff to perform the procedure.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Hill, who to the outside world appeared to be a family man, raped one girl when she was just 12 and the other the day after her 13th birthday.

Hill, formerly of Kinross Street, Burnley, admitted two rape charges, four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, four of indecent assault and two serious sexual offences.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said Hill had sex with the first girl several times, starting when she was 12.

She became pregnant at 14, but Hill said that was a result of having sex with a boy in a park.

When she was 15, Mr Lamberty said, Hill dragged her onto the floor from a chair and had sex with her.

She pulled away crying, but he hit her, told her to shut up and threatened more violence.

The girl's mother became concerned about their relationship and contacted the police. Hill initially claimed the girl was promiscuous and that she had started having sex with him once while he was asleep.

On the second victim's 13th birthday, Hill sent her a card with 'sexy' written on it. They had sex in a house, a car and a van, the court heard. She became pregnant at 13.

He bought her an 'engagement ring' and said he would marry her when she was older.

The girl's mother alerted the police after finding a letter he had written.

Tim Storrie, defending, said Hill had stolen a significant part of each victim's childhoods and had been shaped by what happened to him during teenage years of 'considerable disadvantage, drink and drugs'. Hill was ashamed of himself and wanted to gain an insight into his behaviour, Mr Storrie added.

The mother of the second girl said after the case that Hill had left her daughter severely traumatised and needing counselling.

She added: "I hate his guts. I hope he rots in hell."

The other girl was in court to see Hill sentenced and was led away in tears afterwards.

Detective Inspector Neil Hunter, of the Accrington-based public protection, said: "East Lancashire will be a safer place as a result of his incarceration.

"He systematically groomed and targeted two young, vulnerable girls for his own sexual gratification.

"Hill is a predatory sex attacker. The lengths he has gone to in pretending to be an uncle of one of the victims is particularly despicable."

Judge Stuart Baker said he would have jailed Hill for life if he had a previous record for sex offences. He told the court that he believed Hill posed a high risk of striking again.

A spokesman for the health trust of the hospitals involved, Burnley General Hospital and Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, said clinical guidelines were adhered to for the terminations.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that doctors have the discretion to give treatment to a girl under 16 without her parents' knowledge or consent providing she has sufficient understanding and intelligence to to realise what will happen.