A sick predator dressed as a monk lured young boys with money and gifts before raping and torturing them to death.

Luis Alfredo Garavito, nicknamed “The Beast” has the highest number of victims among serial killers in the world. He kept a sick tally of most of his 190 victims aged six to 16 in a battered notebook during his five-year spree.

But shockingly, the vile killer will be eligible for parole within weeks after Colombian law changed and limited imprisonment to 40 years. Investigations into the murders began when authorities discovered a mass grave of over 35 children in 1998.

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Almost all of them were boys and had signs of binding, sexual assault, and prolonged torture, Unilad reports. Police initially suspected the killings were done by a Satanic cult or an international child-trafficking ring due to the brutality.

Garavito fell asleep at one murder scene with a cigarette in hand that lit the field on fire. He burnt himself and left behind his money, burnt glasses, shorts, shoes, and underwear.

Detectives then began suspecting Garavito and contacted his girlfriend who had not seen him for months. She turned over a black suitcase he had left to her which contained pictures of young boys, detailed journals of his murders, and tally marks of his victims.

He was arrested in April 1999 but then 42-year-old Garavito horrifically admitted he was the killer of 114 children whose bodies were found in 59 Colombian towns since 1994. The killer then confessed to 26 more murders.

“I ask you to pardon me for all I have done, and all I will confess. Yes, I killed them – and many others,” he said.

Later in prison, he confessed to another 50 other killings but it is feared the real number could exceed 300.

Garavito was handed more than 50 long sentences amounting to 1,853 years and nine days behind bars – the lengthiest sentence in Colombian history.

But after the law changed, his sentence was further reduced to 22 years because he had helped police find the victims’ bodies.

He reportedly claimed to feel a force within himself that compelled him to murder children, rooted in the abuse he experienced as a child. He said he was raped by his two neighbours and beaten by his father growing up.

Garavito experienced psychosis, paranoia and depression and sought psychiatric help on several occasions.

The serial killer previously requested early release last year after serving more than half of his reduced sentence and the national prison institute asked a judge in May to grant him provisional release because of his “exemplary” behavior in the Columbian maximum security prison.

The judge denied the request as the then 64-year-old had not yet paid a fine for his victims of $41,500 (£30,415). The victims were either homeless, peasants or orphans who were lured with sweets, soft drinks and money.

Garavito previously tried to minimise his actions in an interview with journalist Journalist Guillermo Prieto La Rotta in 2006 where he said he would like to start a political career to help abused children.

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