Former cub scout leader, Ian Silvester, dubbed a “paedophile hiding in plain sight”, has been jailed for sexually assaulting boys as young as seven for almost 30 years.

Silvester, 60, who worked as a Scout leader, St John’s Ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer, baby sitter, and registered children’s nurse, was sentenced to 16 years in prison with an additional 6 years on license at the same court today.

Judge Christine Laing KC said: “you are the very definition of a paedophile hiding in plain sight.”

The judge said the defendant had given his victims a “lifetime of shame and regret”, telling the court the abuse happened so “openly and plainly and so often in front of others”. She added: “The fact is, you were in a position of trust with each boy.”

“Either as their babysitter, their cub scout master, their diving coach, a provider of first aid training, claiming to meet them to practice to be victims, and your behaviour was a gross abuse of that trust.”

On devices seized from Silvester’s home were images and videos of his victims being assaulted by him as well as indecent images of children, online chat logs and web searches of sexual interest in young boys.

Silvester was found guilty of 44 counts of indecent assault on a male, 25 counts of sexual activity with a child, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of making indecent photos of children.

The offences, including assaulting 19 boys, took place between 1986 and 2013.

A spokesperson for the Scouts Association said Silvester would “never again be allowed to volunteer with the Scout Movement”. It added: “There is no place in the organisation for anyone who behaves in this way.”

Tragically, it has become clear over recent years the sheer extent of the abuse that has occurred within the scouts.

We are currently acting and have previously acted for a number of clients that have suffered abuse in the scouts; including but not limited to people subject to abuse by:

  • John Michael Creagh, who was sentenced to four years in jail for historical sex abuse crimes particularly relating to the 37th Ormskirk St Anne’s Scout Group in the 1970s.

  • John Edward Bates who was sentenced to 20 years in jail for sex abuse crimes during his time as a scout leader between 1972 and 1989.

  • Kenneth Alan Fawcett, who was sentenced to four years imprisonment for abusing boys in Barnoldswick and West Craven, whilst working as a scout leader for Barrowford Scout Group.

Please read this case study for more information about one of these cases.

Contact a Specialist in Scouts Abuse Claims

If you are a survivor of abuse that arose as a result of your attendance at scouts, you are not alone. We understand that abuse as a child affects the entire course of your life, causing long term pain and suffering.

Survivors of the abuse can seek redress against the abuser, the association, and through Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims.

We are leading specialist experts in abuse law, with more than 20 years of experience in seeking justice for our clients in such cases.

If you or a loved one have experienced abuse at the hands of a scout leader, we are here to help. No matter how long it has been since the abuse occurred, we’ll be able to arrange a meeting between you and a specialist abuse claims solicitor here at Farleys, so we can look at the best ways to get justice and closure for you. Contact us on our dedicated abuse line to discuss your case in confidence on 0330 134 6430, by email, or through the online chat below.