The jury was told Gerald Martin had been seen as an upstanding member of the community
A funeral director who sexually abused five boys has been jailed for 20 years.
Gerald Martin abused the teenagers in public toilets and in his funeral parlour in Hartlepool.
The abuse began in the 1970s and continued through to the 1990s, Teesside Crown Court heard during his trial.
Martin, 66 and of Valley Close, Hartlepool, had denied all the charges against him but was convicted by a jury in August.
'Homosexual experiences'
The abuse came to light in 2013 when a man told a nurse he had been the victim of an assault.
After Martin's first court appearance was reported, four further people came forward to say they had also been targeted.
Martin, a former captain of the local boys' brigade, said he had not had sex with any of his accusers although he admitted to having homosexual experiences.
He said he had not told his wife of 35 years because he loved her and they were "absolutely happy".
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