A millionaire businessman led a double life as a depraved sex attacker for decades.

Ian Elliott, from North Heath, near Pulborough, drugged, raped and filmed his attacks on teenagers and young men between 1999 and 2021.

The 71-year-old, who was jailed for 18 years at Hove Crown Court today, was described by his victims as a monster who ruined lives.

Some of the men, all in their teens or early 20s at the time, had no idea what Elliott had done to them until they were contacted by police.

He was arrested in September 2022. In November 2022, Elliott was charged with 92 offences, including 13 rapes, three attempted rapes, 13 sexual assaults and 20 counts of voyeurism.

The married father of two was remanded in custody. 

Another 75 charges followed when hours of video footage was discovered after Elliott tried to get a friend to dispose of a tin full of memory cards from his cameras. Elliott could be heard in a phone call from prison, which was played to the court, telling the friend he needed the tin to be gone.

At Lewes Crown Court on November 2 last year Elliott pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, 17 counts of voyeurism, eight sexual assaults, four counts of possession of Class A, B and C drugs, one count of causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The guilty pleas related to four victims, aged between 16 and 28 at the time of the offences.

An additional 38 charges will lie on file, and 11 were not put forward by the Crown Prosecution Service but are covered by the sentencing powers given through the other convictions.

The twisted tycoon turned rooms above the garages at his rural mansion into a home studio he called The Penthouse.

Elliott carried out sometimes violent sexual abuse and rapes of the men often involving riding boots, straps and a wetsuit.

Descriptions of his horrific video collection lasting more than 90 hours were read out in silence on Tuesday - the clips too disturbing to play in open court.

Elliott, who made his money building an office supplies company in Sussex, lavished money, trips and gifts on the men he abused.

When his office supply business sold in 2019, the firm was valued at £3 million.

He groomed his victims with foreign holidays, trips in his helicopter and on board his boat as well as cash and nights out.

He initially denied anything had happened in his penthouse, only changing his position when confronted with his own recordings.

Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, said Elliott carried out a campaign of rape between 2008 and 2023 subjecting his victims to degradation and humiliation.

Elliott used a variety of drugs on the young men and kept a sharps box in The Penthouse for used needles.

An expert said that in many of the recordings, the young men were almost comatose.

"The numerous videos of the men being sexually assaulted and raped are distressing to watch," Ms Beckett said.

"At times, one victim is asleep and snoring. At times, he is conscious but not coherent and appears not to understand where he is.

"He is clearly in pain on some occasions when he is penetrated by the defendant."

Elliott had a camera set up on a tripod in The Penthouse and used straps to bind his victims who were put into riding boots.

Elliott referred to himself as "Boss" and encouraged his victims to call him Boss or Boss Man.

He was a successful businessman and considered to be a pillar of the community, the court heard.

"The defendant was well known within the village of Wisborough Green and its community," Ms Beckett said.

"He was the chairman of the Wisborough Green Sports Association between 2012 and 2018 and then treasurer until 2020.

"He took a leading role in the running of the association and effectively ran the adjoining pavilion and social club which played a key role in the community."

His victims said they wanted the community to know how evil Elliott really was.

One man who read his statement to the court in person said: "There are years I will never get back.

"This monster was not the man we all believed him to be. I still, and will be for a long time, be picking up the pieces of his mess.

"I suffer from nightmares and I long for the day this case is not consuming my brain and we can live a normal life.

"I don't remember what happened and I did not consent to it. If that's not abuse, I don't know what is.

"Not only is he a rapist, sexual abuser and liar, he is a con artist and a monster."

In a second victim statement, another man said his life will never be the same after being told Elliott abused him while he was unconscious.

"I was drugged and sexually assaulted,” he said.

"It has made me feel less of a man. Everyone says I'm brave but I'm still embarrassed.

"I don't know what other people know or are thinking about me or the case.

"The other victims are some of the strongest, mentally, men I know.

"I keep blaming myself. I'm just glad I was able to stop another boy from getting drugged and sexually assaulted or worse.

"Now he's caught and can't do more horrific things, the public will know how evil he really is."

Elliott hung his head in the dock as the judge sentenced him.

Judge Jeremy Gold told Elliott he showed no remorse or empathy towards the men who he groomed and abused.

"You would systematically abuse them and video record your abuse,” he said. "In some cases, they were so intoxicated they would not realise or remember the sexual indignities they were subjected to."

The judge said some of the men were not aware of the abuse until they were shown the evidence by police.

"This must have been profoundly shocking for them," he said.

"Recording of your offending gave you the opportunity to watch again for your own sexual gratification.

"This was a campaign of degrading and abusive offending."

"A high profile individual and apparently well known and respected in the village. You denied it to police over and over again.

"You showed an apparently innate sense of superiority and blamed your victims.

"There was not a trace of empathy for the four young men.

"Had you been younger man, I would have considered life imprisonment."

Elliott was sentenced to 18 years with an extended licence period of five years.

He will spend at least 12 years in custody before he is eligible to apply for parole. He was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

More victims have been identified and police are hopeful they will come forward following Elliott's conviction.