Man Jailed For Offences At Camps Between 1992 And 2010

A former Scout leader from Warwickshire has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to several sexual offences related to assaults perpetrated upon teenage boys.

Anthony Ball, 55, received the sentence – which includes a further three years on licence following release – at a hearing at Warwick Crown Court in relation to offences at Scout groups between 1992 and 2010.

The Birmingham Mail reports that the offences took place at the Alfrey Activity Centre where Mr Ball was a leader and warden, as well as at other groups across the UK and France.

The court also heard that he was removed from his role in the Scouts after being found to have downloaded indecent images in 2012.

Reacting to the news, specialist abuse lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have commented that the focus must now be on helping Mr Ball’s victims to get the advice and counselling support they need.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of child abuse, our child abuse claims specialists could help you get justice and claim compensation. Call 0370 150 100 to talk confidentially to someone about making a claim or visit our Abuse & Criminal Injury Claims page for more information.

Expert Opinion

“This is another case in which a person in a position of trust has been found to have taken advantage of their situation – with awful consequences. It is also a reminder that although high-profile cases such as Jimmy Savile have put abuse in the spotlight in recent years, in a huge number of instances the perpetrators are not in the public eye. <br/> <br/>“Through our work on similar cases, we understand how such an appalling abuse of trust can have a lasting impact on the lives of survivors and leave them with serious psychological trauma. <br/> <br/>“While the sentencing will have brought the criminal process to a close, the focus must now be on ensuring that anyone who suffered at the hands of Mr Ball is able to get access to specialist support and counselling to begin the journey towards moving on from their ordeals.”