A care assistant who filmed himself raping three elderly women at a residential home was jailed today for 21 years.
Joshua Springer, 36, was initially arrested on suspicion of committing one rape last summer, after a colleague interrupted him as he carried out an attack.
A court heard that further offences were uncovered after the carer confessed he was a rapist to his mother, who contacted police.
Springer pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to nine counts of rape against a total of four women. Six of the counts related to the three women at the care home, while the final three were in relation to a fourth, younger, victim from North Yorkshire.
The drug addict also admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children.
Paul Raudnitz KC, prosecuting, told the court that Springer had worked at a care home in Lincolnshire since February 2025 but that June his offending was uncovered by a colleague who heard 'muffled noises'.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that upon disturbing Springer, he 'immediately jumped back, clawed at his trousers and said 'oh f*'.
Springer was suspended and escorted from the premises, the court heard. When he was later arrested at his home address he told police: 'No way, this is one big misunderstanding, I can explain.'
The prosecutor said further incidents came to light when Springer's mother disclosed messages and conversations to the police on July 22.
The court heard he told her he was a 'rapist and borderline paedo' and during a Facetime call admitted to her: 'Mum, I'm guilty'.
DNA evidence also linked Springer to one victim.
Mr Raudnitz said further evidence against the defendant was found when his phones were then examined.
The court heard that Springer admitted he had filmed all four victims with his phone and that he was scared of the videos being found and 'going to the jail for a long time'.
During subsequent police interviews Springer, whose haul of more than 760 indecent images included several babies being attacked, told police: 'I don't know why I did it but I did.'
Mr Raudnitz said of the defendant's police interviews: 'He had video recorded what had taken place on every occasion.'
'He said he had been addicted to marijuana and alcohol for the past 10 years.'
Anna Soubry, defending Springer, told Lincoln Crown Court there was 'not a lot to be said' in mitigation
Springer, who was cautioned for possession of an offensive weapon in 2005 and a public order offence in 2014, remained impassive in the dock as personal statements from relatives of the victims were read to the court.
The partner of one victim, who cannot be named to protect their loved one's identity, told the court: 'Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought this could happen to my wife.'
'This horror is something I am going to have great difficulty with for the rest of my life.'
The daughter of another victim turned towards Springer and described the trauma he had inflicted on her mother for his own pleasure.
'My mother deserved so much better than this,' she stressed.
The mother of Springer's youngest victim described how his 'reprehensible actions' impacted her daughter.
Anna Soubry, defending, accepted that Springer should be classed as a dangerous offender but urged the court to give the defendant credit for his guilty pleas.
She told the court in mitigation: 'Frankly there is not a lot to be said.'
'This defendant told his mother he was going to go to prison for a very long time. He was right... and has known from the outset that he will receive a very lengthy custodial sentence.'
Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said the victims were all particularly vulnerable due to their personal circumstances.
Filming the offences amounted to additional degradation, the judge said.
He told Springer, of Stamford, Lincolnshire, 'Each of these four women were vulnerable in their particular ways.'
Judge Hirst said there was also a gross breach of trust in the targeting and recording his victims.
'You specifically targeted particularly vulnerable victims', judge Hirst told the defendant, who had no previous convictions.
'I have read and heard the impact on each of the families from what you have done for no other reason than your own sexual gratification.'
Springer was also required to register as a sex offender for life, made the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, and given a six-year extension to the licence period of his jail term.
Det Ch Insp Jennifer Lovatt paid tribute to the 'women at the centre of this case and their families'.
'Springer's actions show a clear lack of human decency and respect for the victims he targeted,' she said.
'He abused a position of trust and used the access he had to attack some of the most vulnerable people in our society.'
She appealed for any other victims of Springer, who is also known as Joshua Kearney and Joshua Kearney Springer - to contact the force.
'While Springer has today been sentenced for his horrific crimes, that does not mean that our investigations have stopped,' said DCI Lovatt.
'Our team has worked tirelessly for some time in bringing Springer to justice, and there may be other potential victims who perhaps have not yet come forward.'