Cub scout leader sexually assaulted boys

Ian Silvester arriving at court for an earlier hearing

A former cub scout leader from East Sussex has been found guilty of sexually assaulting children as young as seven years old.

Ian Charles Silvester, of Locks Hill in Portslade, previously denied 83 charges of historic sexual abuse in Hove and Worthing spanning nearly three decades.

Silvester, 60, was found guilty of 79 of those charges following a trial at Lewes Crown Court, which concluded on Wednesday.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 7 February, 2025.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that between 1986 and 2013 Silvester worked in positions of trust, including as a babysitter, cub scout leader, diving instructor, first aid trainer and St John Ambulance trainer.

Silvester's roles meant he was able to befriend young children, who he would then go on to abuse.

Police seized Silvester's devices after his arrest and found images and footage of him assaulting children, indecent images of children, online chat logs and web search history about his sexual fetishes and sexual interest in young boys.

Emma Lile, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Silvester tried to claim that what he was doing was innocent, denying that his behaviour was sexually motivated.

"However, the prosecution was able to piece together a large amount of evidence which refuted these claims and present it to a jury who saw through his lies and found him guilty."

Det Con Nicky Beard, from Sussex Police, said Silvester had a clear sexual interest in young boys, who he would proactively pursue with no regard for the harm he caused.