Judge Richard Maidment described John Zimmerman, 26, as a predator whose sole object was sexual gratification at the expense of his victims.
Zimmerman used social networking sites Myspace and Facebook to meet and entrap his victims.
He promised them tickets to the band he was managing, convinced them to pose in their underwear over the internet and then blackmailed the girls, aged 12 to 17, into meeting him for sex.
Zimmerman pleaded guilty to a total of 87 charges, including rape and making child pornography.
Judge Maidment said his crimes had a profound and long lasting impact on his young victims and ordered him to serve at least 12 years in prison.
He said the case was proof of the dangers posed by social network websites.
Outside the court the victims (who cannot be named) and their families urged others to learn from their mistakes.
"If you don't know them, don't add people you don't know. And just be really careful because they act like they're your age but they could just be some creep."
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