SCOUTING IN STOCKPORT REASSURES PARENTS AFTER DAVID OLIVER CONVICTION

In February 2005, scouting organizations in Stockport moved quickly to reassure parents about the safety of their children following the conviction of a second Scout leader for possessing child pornography.

David Gerald Oliver, 38, of Claremont Road, Great Moor, was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing over 7,000 indecent images of children, including some classified as the most severe Level 5 images.

A Scout Association spokesperson stated, "The Scout Association is aware of the conviction of Mr. Oliver and has cooperated fully with the authorities throughout their investigations. He resigned from his role within the movement as soon as we learned of the police inquiry. The Scout Association conducts rigorous vetting of all adults working with young people and enforces strict guidelines outlined in the ‘Young People First’ code of good practice."

Oliver is required to participate in an 18-month rehabilitation program, has been banned from working with children—whether paid or voluntary—for life, and must register as a sex offender for seven years.

During his sentencing, Judge Peter Lakin remarked, “Crimes such as this are not victimless. The children involved are victims in every sense of the word. They are cynically exploited, and their future happiness and development are placed in jeopardy to satisfy the desires of individuals like you.”

The former Venture Scout leader, responsible for groups in Bramhall, Hazel Grove, and Woodford, was first arrested in April of the previous year. Authorities charged him with 19 counts of creating indecent images of children and one count of possessing such images.

Police conducted searches at his residence, uncovering a total of 7,276 indecent images stored on his computer, along with 19 CDs and ten floppy disks. The images ranged from over 5,000 at the lower severity levels (one and two), to higher levels including 337 at level three, 124 at level four, and 93 at level five, which depicted sadism and bestiality.

Police officials have commended the severity of the sentence. Detective Sergeant Peter Fitton from the abusive images unit commented, “I believe this sentence combines punishment with rehabilitation. Research from the University of Cork’s department of applied psychology—leaders in this research—indicates that 78 percent of those convicted of viewing these images admit to engaging in hands-on abuse."

He added, “There is no such thing as ‘child porn’—every image is a photograph of a serious crime scene involving the abuse of a child.”

Oliver’s case is notable as he is the second Scout leader in Stockport to be convicted of child pornography offenses within a span of two months. In December, Melvin Penn, 59, formerly from Edgeley, was spared jail despite admitting to possession of 14,000 indecent images of children. He was sentenced to an 18-month probationary rehabilitation order.

Clive Perrin, secretary of the Wilmslow Lacrosse Club—where Oliver was also involved—stated, “Oliver was a member of the club, but there’s no suggestion he was involved with any children. He resigned shortly after his arrest. From our perspective, this matter is completely resolved.”