A DANGEROUS paedophile who went on the run to cheat justice is behind bars - and serving a sentence of at least 12 years.

Perverted loner Ian Goodwin raped and degraded two little boys, and filmed the horrific abuse, a court heard.

A manhunt was launched in June when he failed to answer bail, and his photograph was circulated around the country.

Today police praised the public for helping them trace the 48-year-old to a hideaway in North Yorkshire.

He pleaded guilty to a string of sickening sex crimes which his lawyer admitted were "impossible to mitigate".

Teesside Crown Court heard Goodwin subjected the youngsters - aged just six and eight - to repeated sexual abuse.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds said he had an axe in his flat to threaten and terrify the boys into doing as he said.

The abuse emerged when the youngest victim complained he did not like the “games” they played with Goodwin.

Police found pornographic DVDs, children’s underwear and more 1,600 images and videos of abuse at his home.

Mr Dodds told the court that the vile material included the two young boys being raped and degraded by Goodwin.

He said: “They are vulnerable because of their age - their extreme youth - and there was grooming.”

Goodwin was arrested and bailed after the allegations, but left the Teesside area and used an alias.

When he was caught, he gave a different name to officers - but was later charged and remanded in custody.

Defence lawyer Graham Silvester said Goodwin had mental health issues and lived an “isolated existence”.

But Mr Silvester told Judge Simon Hickey: “It’s impossible to mitigate the inexplicable.

“I don’t know how he got himself to this stage. There are no excuses or explanation I can give to assist.”

Goodwin admitted 12 charges - including four of rape, five of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as making indecent photos of a child and voyeurism.

Judge Hickey described him as “dangerous”, and told him: “You subjected them to degrading sexual acts including raping these two young boys, not once but several times.

“The carrying out of behaviour against such young boys will inevitably affect them and will continue to have a significant impact on their lives in the future.”

Goodwin, of no fixed abode, but from Eston, near Middlesbrough, will be released after 12 years only if experts think it is safe to do so, and will spend an extended period of six years on licence recall.

Afterwards, Detective Constable Rachel Callender, of Cleveland Police, said: “I am pleased with the sentence handed to Ian Goodwin.

“He committed despicable acts of sexual abuse against children and thought that he could avoid justice by going on the run.

“I would like to thank the members of the public that assisted us in tracing Ian Goodwin, which therefore allowed us to put him before the courts. Today, justice has been served and I hope that the victims can now move forward with their lives.”