Paedophile Richard Huckle has told a court his prolific child abuse was due to his "immaturity" and that he is "truly remorseful".
During sentencing, Huckle's lawyer asked for leniency and read a statement from the 30-year-old, who abused and raped babies and children while working in impoverished areas of Malaysia.
It read: "I am open and eager to rehabilitate from this offending behaviour.
"I don't want to become a martyr to sex tourism in Malaysia. This was all my doing as a consequence of my own immaturities.
"I am deeply remorseful and regretful of what has happened and will do all I can in being proactive towards rehabilitating myself."
Huckle has pleaded guilty to 71 offences against children aged between six months and 12 years from 2006 to 2014.
Investigators have identified 23 victims, but it is believed the actual figure could be around 200.
The church-going Briton preyed on his victims while working as an English teacher and photographer in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
In his letter to the court, Huckle said he had "completely misjudged the affections I received from these children" and been influenced by the "pathetic, perverted lust of those who drew me into the dark net".
He said he hoped his victims would get help after the "disgusting behaviour I performed on them".
The National Crime Agency's Matthew Long has called him "one of the most committed, manipulative, conniving paedophiles I have come across" and a "constant groomer".
With Huckle facing life behind bars, his lawyer Philip Sapsford QC asked the judge to consider his client's young age, his claims of remorse and the fact he has no previous convictions.
He also quoted from a psychiatric report that said Huckle had had limited sexual experience with women, suffered depression as a teenager and never felt like he belonged.
Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt, at the Old Bailey, said the abuser's lawyers admitted never being involved in an abuse case on such a scale.
Grammar school-educated Huckle was arrested in December 2014 after landing at Gatwick Airport on a visit to see his parents.
Australian authorities alerted the National Crime Agency after they tracked down the man running the paedophile site that Huckle posted on.
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