BRIAN BAILEY FROM ABINGDON AND AYLESBURY SENT TO PRISON FOR CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Abingdon and Aylesbury, Brian Bailey, a former scout leader with a dark history of abusing children, has been sentenced to six years in prison for a series of heinous crimes spanning over a decade. Bailey, aged 42 and residing on High Street in Abingdon, pleaded guilty to 18 out of 25 charges brought against him during a court session at Amersham Crown Court in Buckinghamshire.

These charges stemmed from a series of abusive acts committed against six young boys at a flat located in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, between the years 1990 and 2005. The court heard that Bailey’s criminal conduct was not isolated but part of a long-standing pattern of predatory behavior. Lord Justice Parmoor, presiding over the case, described Bailey as “thoroughly dangerous,” emphasizing his history of abusing young boys and warning that he posed a significant threat to society.

During the proceedings, it was revealed that Bailey had prior convictions related to child abuse, specifically involving the young children of a friend. The judge also noted that Bailey’s case required ongoing intervention, including participation in a sexual treatment program, to address his dangerous tendencies.

The charges against Bailey included a total of 12 counts of indecent assault, three counts of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency, and three counts of possessing indecent images of children. Additional allegations involved six counts of creating indecent images, one count of taking such images, and four counts of supplying cannabis. These serious accusations paint a disturbing picture of a man who exploited his position and trust to commit these crimes.

Bailey’s criminal history includes a previous jail sentence for child abuse in 2005, from which he was released in 2007 under police and probation supervision. Police reports indicate that Bailey was involved in scouting activities in Aylesbury during the late 1980s and early 1990s, serving as an assistant scout leader, a role that he exploited to gain access to vulnerable children.

Thames Valley Police’s Detective Sergeant Steve Ring commented on Bailey’s manipulative tactics, stating, “Mr Bailey relied on them being intoxicated at the time and it was almost like bribing boys to be in that flat to be abused. Boys who were more vulnerable, he manipulated them to such an extent that they passively allowed him to abuse them.”

Further revelations emerged in May 2010, when police uncovered over 100,000 images depicting child sexual abuse on Bailey’s home computer. This discovery followed his release from prison and subsequent allegations that he had been abusing boys at his residence for more than ten years. During police interviews, Bailey admitted that his actions felt “quite natural” and described his grooming techniques as methods he had learned to manipulate his victims and achieve his desires.

Paul Gillbard from Thames Valley Probation Service reflected on the case, stating, “If a person is devious and was deliberately setting out to hide their activity, unless it came to light in some way, they could do that.”

One of Bailey’s victims, now in his twenties, shared his experience with the BBC, saying, “At the time we never really spoke about it as friends, it just happened. He would, for instance, sit next to you and start putting his hand on you, judging what kind of reaction he would get to see how he would carry on what he was to maybe do.”

Bailey’s case underscores the importance of vigilance and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to protect vulnerable children from predators hiding behind trusted roles and facades of normalcy.