The man who murdered and dismembered an eight-year-old boy in one of the most shocking incidents in the memory of New York's Charedi community has been sentenced.

Levi Aron was told he would spend 40 years behind bars for killing Leiby Kletzky last July.

Leiby's disappearance sparked a massive manhunt, but his body was found just days after he went missing, with bodyparts stashed in two places in Boro Park, including at Aron's home.

Aron pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murder and admitted drugging and smothering the boy as he made his way home from summer camp.

Despite his lawyer's efforts, it was declared that Aron was competent to stand trial after a psychological exam.

Aron, 37, was silent as he was sentenced. He appeared in court with a long beard and wearing a kippah.

The Kletzky family chose not to be in court for the sentencing; Aron's guilty plea having saved them a drawn out and painful court case.

Boro Park state assemblyman, Dov Hikind, who has supported the family throughout, said: "There's someone not at the Shabbos table, there's someone missing there. So the last thing they wanted was to go through this for a week, or two, or three weeks."