DAVID KING, SCOUT LEADER IN READING, JAILED FOR CHILD RAPE IN JUNE 2010

In June 2010, David King, a 47-year-old scout leader from Reading, was sentenced to ten years in prison after admitting to nine counts of raping a girl under the age of 13. The court heard that one of the incidents occurred between July 2005 and July 2009, with the remaining charges relating to events in February 2010.

King was detained at his home on Hartland Road, Whitley, after the victim—whose identity remains protected by law—told a friend about the abuse. Prosecutor Oliver Dunkin informed the court during the sentencing on June 18 that, on February 22, the victim was speaking with a friend on MSN and disclosed that the abuse had happened again. The following day, her friend informed a teacher at school.

When police arrived to arrest King on February 23, he reportedly told officers, 'This is not what I need tonight.' During interrogation, he also remarked, 'That will be the end of scouts.'

Defence lawyer Jonathan Coode expressed that King was deeply remorseful, stating, 'He is disgusted with himself. Although he is struggling to understand how he came to this offending, he told the probation officer he wants to understand why he did what he did.' Coode noted that King’s upbringing was strict and disciplined, describing him as a 'quiet loner' who was not permitted to have friends.

In addition to his prison term, King was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Judge Nigel Seed, QC, remarked, 'It’s clear your life as a child wasn’t particularly happy and your marriage seems not to have been a source of any happiness to you. However, that’s not an excuse for what you did. It’s despicable and degrading behaviour and goodness knows what effect it will have on the girl.'

A representative from The Scout Association confirmed that King served as a scout leader in Reading but did not specify his period of membership. The organization stated, 'We are aware of court proceedings involving Mr. King, who was a member of The Scout Association. The Scout Association has co-operated fully with the statutory agencies, and as soon as the allegations were reported, Mr. King was suspended from involvement with the movement. The Scout Association enforces strict vetting procedures for all adults working with young people and adheres to guidelines outlined in the ‘Young People First’ Code of Good Practice.'