A higher regional court in Potsdam sentenced a 33-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murders of six-year-old Elias and four-year-old Mohammed, the court announced on Tuesday.

The court called the murders "two inconceivable crimes" and ruled out the possibility of parole after serving 15 years, due to the severity of the crimes.

"You kidnapped them, stole their freedom, sexually abused and killed them with the intention of concealing your deeds," the judge said addressing the defendant.

According to the ruling, Silvio S. kidnapped six-year-old Elias near his home in Potsdam in July 2015.

Four-year-old Mohammed was a refugee from Bosnia. The boy was with his mother and his siblings at a collection point for refugees in the center of Berlin when he disappeared in October last year.

The disappearance sparked a massive manhunt and his body was later found in the car of Silvio S.

During the search, police published images from surveillance systems, showing a man leading away a child who was holding a plush toy.

Silvio S. was arrested last October and confessed to both murders.

rs/ rc (AFP, dpa)