David Wilson admitted 96 charges involving 52 victims
Prolific abuser David Wilson, from Norfolk, was jailed for 96 child sex abuse offences.
Judge Rupert Overbury told him: "You pose a significant risk to members of the public, particularly children.
"You are an extremely dangerous individual with a perverted and sadistic interest in young boys. You can be described as a serial paedophile."
He added: "You carried out a lengthy and premeditated campaign of sadistic and manipulative abuse of young boys using social media.
"Any decent human being will be astonished at the level of depravity involved."
Wilson was also given an eight-year extended licence period at Ipswich Crown Court.
The devastating impact of his online abuse of hundreds of young boys was earlier outlined to the judge.
Wilson's victims and their mothers read out impact statements detailing wrecked lives, ruined relationships, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Wilson, a 36-year-old roofer from King's Lynn, is thought to have targeted 500 young boys aged four to 14, posing as young girls and duping them into sending him indecent images of themselves and their siblings via Facebook.
When they resisted he blackmailed them by threatening to share the pictures with their friends and, in at least two cases, he did just that.
One boy, a footballer Wilson coached from the age of nine, read a statement directly to his abuser who sat on a video link in a room at Norwich jail.
Now a teenager, the victim said: "Do you remember me? I was the little boy that used to play striker. I was nine, I was top scorer. I was the kid you took advantage of, that you abused, blackmailed, made feel suicidal. The kid whose childhood you stole.
"Childhood is meant to be about having fun, but since then there is a part of me that is dark, depressed and angry. I was there to enjoy myself without any cares, you stole that from me.
"I had problems at school, I used to be confident talking to new people but my social skills deteriorated. Before I blamed myself, but now I look back on myself like a little brother, you made me suffer.
"I want you to know I was one of the victims that put you in prison. Saying it on behalf of the little boy you abused, now I can see what you really are, from now on the world will know you, David Wilson, were a pathetic paedophile."
The mother of another young victim broke down in tears several times as she recounted the effect of Wilson's abuse of her son.
Dabbing at her eyes, she told the judge: "I failed to protect my child from the monster who preyed on him. I was unable to keep him safe."
Another mother described watching her 15-year-old son being arrested and taken from their home because of indecent images he had exchanged with Wilson.
Wilson admitted 96 charges involving 52 victims, but National Crime Agency investigators believe he abused up to 500 victims and may have approached 5,000 young boys over several years.
NCA investigators arrested Wilson three times before compiling enough evidence to charge him.
They have criticised Facebook's plans to encrypt its platform to deter hackers, saying it would make it far more difficult to detect abusers such as Wilson.
Following sentencing, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "The tireless efforts of the NCA have put a truly awful criminal behind bars, providing justice to those who suffered as well as protecting hundreds of potential victims.
"This sickening case is a chilling reminder of how crucial it is that tech companies play their part in combating child sexual abuse.
"It is vital that Facebook do not press ahead without amending their current end-to-end-encryption plans, otherwise sick criminals like David Wilson could still be abusing children with impunity."
His lawyer Michael Clare said: "He fully accepts his responsibly and although he opened up about his own childhood sex abuse, he doesn't blame that for his own behaviour.
"He will accept whatever help he can be given in prison."
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