Stuart May Convicted Again for Historic Abuse
Stuart May, an 82-year-old former scout leader, has been convicted for a second time for sexually abusing boys in Birmingham. Already serving an eight-year and nine-month prison sentence for 11 offences against four boys in the 1970s, May's jail time was doubled last week after three new victims came forward. He was found guilty at trial of six charges of indecent assault on a male and two counts of indecency with a child, despite denying the charges.
Judge Condemns May's Callous Truth
At Birmingham Crown Court on June 18, Judge Roderick Henderson sentenced May to an additional eight years, to run consecutively to his previous term. The judge told May he had told 'a lot of lies' during the trial, but one callous truth: 'You told a lot of lies in this trial. One thing you did say that I have no doubt was true, was that between then and now you didn't give those boys much thought at all until the chickens came home to roost.' The judge described the case as 'the most obvious case of grooming and abuse of a position as a scout master who was trusted in the community.'
Victim Impact: 'Destroyed So Many Young Lives'
One of the victims, who was the subject of five of the latest offences, said May had 'destroyed so many young lives.' He told the court he had blamed himself for the abuse and prayed every day because he was from a religious family and feared he would go to hell. May, currently serving at HMP Birmingham, described the prison as 'hell.'
Details of the Abuse
May abused boys in his car, on trips, and in the scout hut in Sutton Coldfield during the 1970s. He manipulated the boys to keep quiet, telling them they would be in trouble if anyone found out. The new victims came forward after May's initial conviction, leading to the second trial and increased sentence.
