A Paedophile Scout leader who dressed up as a young girl to encourage teenage boys to perform sex acts over the internet has been jailed for 10 years
Richard Papworth, 26, who was also caught with thousands of child sex abuse images, was jailed for 6 years and given an extended sentence of 4 years.
When the police raided the Explorer Leader’s home in Hertfordshire last year, they found 22 explicit videos dating from February to March 2012, St Albans crown court heard.
Richard Papworth was convicted of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and was also found in possession of thousands of child sex abuse images
Prosecutor Robert Bryan said: ‘He posed on the Internet as a young 18-year-old female filling out his top to make it look as if he had breasts. He encouraged young boys to masturbate and he recorded that.
‘He said he would strip for them while they did it, but he did not and just rubbed a breast.’
One one video he said: ‘Hey Babe – if you show me yours I will show you mine.’ 15 of the 22 boys tricked by Papworth were aged under 13.
The videos were found last year after the Scout Association had ‘safeguarding concerns’ about Papworth and made a referral to the local authority.
It led to the police arresting him for engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Between December 2016 and January last year Papworth, had Facebook Messanger conversations with a boy that became sexual in nature.
He drove what the judge said was ‘a coach and horses’ through the Scouts’ safeguarding rules by taking him alone to a new archery range in Wormley, Hertfordshire.
Mr Bryan said on 7 August last year the police found the 22 videos and seized Papworth’s computer equipment.
He had downloaded 1,003 indecent images of children which were at Category A, the most serious level. There were 2,735 at Category B and 8,371 at Category C, the least serious level. The majority of the images related to boys aged 13 to 16, but a large quantity were aged 5 to 10.
A judge at St Albans Crown Court told Papworth ‘you tricked and conned young boys for your own selfish, sexual gratification’
When questioned Papworth claimed he was heterosexual, but said he did not believe every man was 100 per cent straight.
He told the officers he had identified that the boy he had spoken to on Facebook was depressed and thought he could help him. He said he had no sexual interest in children
While released on bail he reaccessed some of the images he had previous stored and transferred them to a USB stick. 7 were at Category B and 5 at Category.
Papworth of Waterside Place, Sawbridgeworth, Herts appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to three charges of making (downloading) indecent images of children, possessing a prohibited image and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
In addition he admitted four charges of causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making (downloading) the images found on the USB stick.
Defending, David Smithet said Papworth was of previous good character and gave the judge character references.
Judge Jonathan Carroll told him: ‘This was undoubtedly a gross breach of trust on every level. As a scout leader in charge of youngsters you drove a coach and horses through safeguarding regime.
‘You tricked and conned young boys for your own selfish, sexual gratification.
‘You have almost no real insight into your own sexuality and the harm your uncontrolled sexuality has on youngsters who come under your grasp.’
The made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and said Papworth must register as a sex offender for life and banned him from ever working with children.