Scout leader linked to paedophile ring

A SCOUT leader has become the latest person to be linked to an alleged paedophile ring suspected of abusing a 14-year-old boy.

He is thought to be the fifth person to have been interviewed by gardaí investigating the case. The other four are a probationary garda, a lecturer, a truck driver and a State law officer.

Garda sources yesterday confirmed the man “was a scout leader at some stage” but said they were examining his current level of involvement.

However, the Irish Examiner understands the man is a current member of Scouting Ireland and has been requested to stop working with children until the garda investigation is completed.

The man was interviewed by gardaí last Wednesday week, a day after the mother of the now 15-year-old boy complained about inappropriate text messages she found on her son’s mobile phone.

Gardaí in Coolock, Dublin, took a detailed statement from the boy and quickly established that possible sexual abuse had occurred. Among the first people identified were the scout leader and the probationary garda. The latter is suspected of contacting the boy but not of abusing him.

Garda sources yesterday said the scouting official was suspected of being one the “principal people” involved in the suspected abuse.

The language school lecturer and the retired truck driver are suspected of abusing the child. The law officer, attached to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, is suspected of contacting the boy but not of abusing him.

The men are thought to have contacted the boy after he posted an anonymous message on a gay website.

Gardaí said the boy was not forced to perform sexual acts but pointed out that, as a minor, he did not have the authority to consent and the charge in question would be one of statutory rape.

A spokesman for Scouting Ireland said: “The association is aware that an individual has been questioned by gardaí and we have been in touch with the authorities on this.

“Having established that an individual has been questioned we’ve carried out an initial assessment. The initial assessment has indicated there is no concern for any of our youth members in connection with this and the number one priority for us is the welfare and safety of our youth members.”

The spokesman would not confirm if the man was a current member of the association but added: “If an adult is involved in scouting and if an accusation is made against them, as a matter of course they are immediately asked to step back from any current involvement they may have until the facts have been established.”

He said that as an official investigation was underway the association was not going to comment further.