Who was Barry Bennell and what did he do?
CONVICTED paedophile Barry Bennell was branded "the devil incarnate" by the judge who jailed him.
On September 18, 2023, it was revealed the evil former footy coach had died.
Who was Barry Bennell and what did he do?
Former Chelsea youth player Barry Bennell who coached youth football teams in the 80s and 90s, and was also a talent scout.
But he was also a predatory paedophile who abused parents' trust and molested dozens of child victims in Britain and the US.
Some victims, who dreamed of making it as pro footballers, were abused up to 100 times as he threatened to ruin their careers if they refused him.
His first conviction came in 1994 when he was jailed for four years for molesting a 13-year-old British boy on a tour in Florida.
Bob Bowers, chairman of the team Bennell had been coaching, said later: "He mesmerised people in terms of his football skills.
"It was like watching a circus master at work. But we were all looking at the football. We weren't conscious of the darker secret."
After his release from jail in Florida, Bennell was convicted of 23 charges at Chester crown court in 1998 and jailed for nine years.
A third conviction came in 2015 when he was jailed for a further two years for three more offences.
Most read in UK news
He was investigated again following the football sex abuse scandal in 2016.
Bannell was married to the sister of one of his victims - Andy Woodward, who waived his right to anonymity.
During his 2018 trial, prosecutor Nicholas Johnson QC asked the jury: "Just imagine. What does that tell you about his attitude to other people and their expendability to him?"
What was Barry Bennell found guilty of?
In February 2018, Bennell was found guilty of 43 indecent and serious sexual assault offences against boys.
The disgraced former footy coach was convicted of 36 charges on Tuesday, February 13, and then a further seven offences two days later.
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard how Bennell had a “power hold” over youth players and abused them on an "industrial scale".
Now known by Richard Jones, Bennell appeared via video link during the five-week trial because of illness.
How long was Barry Bennell's jail sentence?
On February 19, 2018, the beast was caged for 31 years for his crimes.
Sentencing him for abusing 12 young footballers between 1979 and 1991, Judge Clement Goldstone told the monster: “Your behaviour was sheer evil. You were hellbent on abusing boys.
"You appeared as a God to those boys but in reality you were the Devil incarnate.
"You stole their childhoods and their innocence.”
He added: “No sentence that I can pass would begin to address the harm and damage you have done to your victims."
There were cries of "yes" from the public gallery as the paedo was jailed.
However, on September 18, 2023, it was revealed Bennell had died in prison aged 70-years-old.
What clubs did Barry Bennell coach at?
Bennell was a youth coach at Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City
He also coached lads playing in youth teams across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
As well as this, he ran summer camps at Butlins and in the US.
The NSPCC’s helpline is 0808 800 5000 or Child Line for children and young people can be contacted on 0800 1111.
In the UK, The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.