Former scoutmaster jailed for abusing teen more than 100 times

A former scoutmaster, who groomed and sexually abused a teenage boy more than 100 times, has been jailed for three years.

Wilson Alexander Reid, of Ferris Bay Road in Islandmagee, previously pleaded guilty to a number of offences, which took place while he was a scout leader in Portadown between 2001 and 2006.

The victim was 14 at the time of the abuse, and Reid was a 43-year-old single man working as a framer.

Sentencing the now 67-year-old at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday, the judge said the victim had been left to deal with the effects of the abuse for more than 20 years.

The court heard that while the victim was not a scout member, he met Reid through friends.

The prosecution said Reid took the teenager back to his home, gave him alcohol and allowed him to watch and read pornographic movies and magazines.

When the victim reported the offending three years ago, he told police he had been molested on more than 100 occasions.

During police interviews, the 67-year-old admitted to the abuse, and accepted that he had groomed the victim by giving him alcohol while he was underage.

Reid also acknowledged that his victim was vulnerable.

The court heard Reid was a member of the Scout Association and held roles as assistant scout leader and between 1997 and 2004 he was assistant scout commissioner.

The prosecution said that Reid was in a position of authority and breached the trust placed in him to access his victim for sexual abuse.

The court was told the victim had been left "traumatised" by the five-year ordeal, resulting in drugs and alcohol abuse and attempts to take his life.

In a statement read out to the court, the victim said: "I want to turn the horrible experiences I have had into something good.

"What happened to me ruined my life.

"I was robbed of so much. I know for a fact my life would have been completely different if it wasn't for him.''

A pre-sentence report stated that Reid was estranged from his family, and also claimed he himself had been sexually abused.

It also said Reid felt sorry for his victim and expressed regret over the effect it had, but he could explain his offending, adding that his interest was in women.

The report described Reid's conduct as "examples of sophisticated manipulation and grooming skills'', and was similar to a pattern of other offending, for which he was given a 10-year sentence for in 2009.

The Probation Board assessed the defendant as a low likelihood of reoffending and said he did not pose a danger to the public and there had been no further offending.

The report concluded that the sexual abuse of the 14-year-old boy took place before Reid was sentenced in 2009.

Reid's defence said that had these offences been included in the 2009 sentencing exercise "it would not have exacerbated the level of sentence to any great degree''.

However Judge Gordon Kerr said a custodial sentence was necessary given the seriousness of the offending, the extent of the charges, the length of time over which they were committed.

He said a custodial sentence should be in excess of 12 months'.

He said the effects of the abuse on the victim had lasted for over 20 years and have yet to be fully dealt with.

"The defendant deliberately planned and prepared the grooming of the victim by use of inducements such as alcohol and porn,'' said he added.

"The defendant was a mature person who had a standing in society as a youth leader.

"The victim at the start was a child of 14 and remained largely a child throughout the offending.

"There were numerous offences. The offending took place over a five-year period. I consider that this is a case of high culpability."

Therefore the high degree of culpability and significant harm caused merited an increase in the original 10-year sentence, he said.

The judge did not imposed a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order, but said Reid would remain on the sex offenders register for life.