SCOUT LEADER WHO PREYED ON YOUNG BOYS FOR FOUR YEARS JAILED
2018.A scout leader from Essex who exploited young boys at various camps has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The offender sexually abused victims, some as young as eight, at their homes and scout clubs across Essex.
Anthony Allen, age 27 and from Plaistow, Newham, was convicted of six counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child under 15.
The crimes involved eight children from the 25th Newham East Scout Group, where Allen volunteered for a decade before his suspension last year amid investigations.
The abuse occurred between January 2013 and September 2017, inflicted on boys aged between eight and 16, at various locations including homes and scout camps in Essex, Kent, and Wales.
During this period, Allen worked as a primary school teaching assistant for a year and later as a learning mentor.
The investigation began after one victim, concerned for his younger brother's safety as he was about to join Allen's scout group, alerted his mother.
Initially dismissing it as a joke, her concern grew when her elder son reiterated the allegations, prompting her to contact police.
Following the initial complaint, more victims came forward.
At the time of the allegations, Allen was also serving as a volunteer in the Army Reserves, deployed in Estonia with the 7 Rifles G Company based in West Ham.
He was detained at Heathrow Airport in September 2017 after being brought back from abroad for questioning, having first been arrested and interviewed during the investigation, then released on bail.
Allen later disappeared temporarily, leaving 'suicide notes' at victims' homes.
His computer was confiscated, revealing evidence related to inappropriate images and videos.
During his trial, the prosecution detailed how Allen groomed boys through text messaging, starting with casual banter and escalating to sexually explicit language.
He manipulated victims into sending images of themselves exercising, claiming it was for a 'fitness' badge.
The grooming often involved exploiting the close physical proximity during scout camping trips, where Allen would surprise boys in toilet or tent situations, leading to unwanted physical contact.
One boy, assaulted when he was 10, estimated that the touching happened between 60 and 100 times.
Allen also befriended parents and children, gaining trust by being helpful and involved in their lives, which made him seem like a family friend.
He exploited this trust by assaulting a 13-year-old in his bedroom while the victim's family was outside.
Other victims described Allen as a role model, with some referring to him as 'dad', and felt they were groomed emotionally and physically.
One victim, embarrassed by Allen's sexual propositions, wrote down the words and handed them to police.
Allen's first court appearance was at Thames Magistrates' Court in October 2017, followed by a remand to appear at the Old Bailey.
He was brought to Snaresbrook Crown Court in April 2018, where he was sentenced to 11 years for a series of sexual offences against minors, including possession of numerous indecent images classified from categories A to C.
His sentence covers six counts of sexual assault, six counts of sexual activity with a minor, and possession of multiple categories of explicit images and videos, including one Category A video.
