A man described as “the most prolific rapist in British legal history” has been sentenced to life in prison with a possible release after 30 years following his conviction for sexual offences against 48 men.

Authorities said the evidence against 36-year-old Reynhard Sinaga indicates he had many more victims, with roughly 195 men apparently having been filmed while being abused when they were in his apartment. Many were unconscious at the time.

Judge Suzanne Goddard said in Manchester Crown Court that the true number of Sinaga’s victims may never be known.

She said the courts had rarely if ever seen such a prolonged “campaign of rape.”

The bedroom floor of Reynhard Sinaga, where dozens of rapes took place. Photo: AAP

Reporting restrictions that had prevented the publication of Sinaga’s name were lifted on Monday.

Prosecutors say Sinaga had a non-threatening manner. He befriended young men, including many who were intoxicated after a night out, and offered them a place to stay at his apartment. He filmed many of the forced sexual encounters.

Sinaga arrived in Britain from his native Indonesia on a student visa in 2007.

He received two degrees in sociology and planning from the University of Manchester and was studying for his PhD at the University of Leeds when he was suspended following his arrest in 2017.

He was already serving life, with a minimum term of 20 years, for the offences he was convicted of in two earlier trials, which took place in summer 2018 and last spring.

-AAP