Jimmy Savile’s friend Ray Teret guilty of raping seven young girls

DJ known as "Ugly Ray" preyed on underage girls in Manchester in the 1960s and 1970s

A former radio DJ and friend of the abuser Jimmy Savile has been convicted of raping seven young girls and indecently assaulting 11.

Ray Teret, who worked on radio station Radio Caroline, preyed on his victims in the 1960s and 1970s.

He met most of the girls through the Manchester club scene, where his status as a radio DJ afforded him fame.

Teret, who was known by the DJ name of Ugly Ray, was mentored by Jimmy Savile, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

He told the jury he had no interest in underage girls, despite a previous conviction for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in 1999, which he continues to deny.

While giving evidence he said that men who preyed on underage girls “want shooting” and that he had never been such a man.

"I only make love, not sex, sir. I only make love with ladies who want to make love with me,” he told the court.

The jury returned their verdict after more 60 hours of deliberations.

Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Evans said: "The Crown say that young teenage girls, far from doing nothing for him, were consistently pursued by him through the 60s and 70s."

Mr Evans said many of the victims were star-struck on account of DJs like Teret being treated like "royalty" in that era.

Of the offences, he said: "The basic set-up, the background is the same - a naive girl who has the headlights of fame shone on her, who is taken to a flat and without more, without any understanding of what is going on, has a male many years older, having sex with her."

Additional reporting by PA