A child sex survivor has spoken of her devastation after an evil pedophile continued to abuse children after he terrorised her into dropping the charges.

The long-term foster carer for the Department of Child Protection, Ricky John Bennett, 70, will likely die in jail after he was jailed for more than two decades on Thursday for his sickening child sex crimes.

Outside court after the sentencing, the victim who reported to police that she was assaulted by Bennett in 2013 said she was sickened that he went on to abuse further children after her.

“You’re told as a child that if something serious happens to you or that you’re assaulted that you need to get help so I did – but from there I was failed by the very institution put in place to protect me and help me,” she said.

The victim said Bennett “harassed, stalked and tormented” her after she reported him to the police, including showing up at her workplace, and she eventually dropped the charges as a result.

“I was a child, I was vulnerable. I needed help,” she said.

Another victim was as young as five when her abuse started.

“He needs to die in there because otherwise I won’t get any satisfaction,” she said.

“All of this could have been stopped because one girl spoke up and nobody believed her, they believed a man.”

Another victim said Bennett’s abuse had significantly affected her, particularly now she is a parent.

“He deserves to rot in there. He doesn’t deserve to be out, he’s taken away a lot of things from a lot of people,” she said.

Judge Barklay found Bennett guilty in April of 17 child sex offences, including sexual abuse of a child, unlawful sexual intercourse and indecent assault.

During Bennett’s trial, the court heard he supplied some of the victims with alcohol, with one victim describing “passing in and out of consciousness” when Bennett assaulted her.

“Various techniques were employed by the defendant to manipulate the children, often through purchases or giving money, through emotional manipulation,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard after the 2013 charge was dropped, Bennett’s sexual abuse of some of his victims became more prolific, particularly after his wife passed in 2015.

During sentencing, Judge Barklay slammed Bennett as a “skilful, dangerous and determined sexual predator” who exploited the children’s vulnerabilities in the “most horrendous way”.

After combining the sentences for each victim, Bennett’s sentence was 60.5 years, however Judge Barklay determined it would be “crushing” and jailed him for 24 years, with a non-parole period of 19 years and two months.

“Your offending was persistent, and repugnant, and ongoing for the best part of 20 years,” he said.

Outside court, the father of one of the victims said the jail sentence was a long time coming but justice was served.

“I’m proud of what she’s (my daughter) done, immensely proud, to come to court to put this person away, who will never see the light of day,” he said.

The sentence was backdated to August 27, 2021.

Department for Child Protection Chief Executive Jackie Bray said welcomed the “significant” sentence, which “reflects the serious harm caused by these abhorrent crimes”.

“We acknowledge the devastating trauma experienced by these young women and we’re committed to supporting them in whatever way necessary to help them to heal,” she said.