DAVID TAYLOR FROM VAUXHALL AND WALLASEY JAILED AGAIN FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF TEENAGE BOY

In a disturbing case that has once again brought to light the dark history of a predatory individual, David Taylor, a former volunteer with the Wallasey Sea Cadets, has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a teenage boy. The court proceedings, held at Liverpool Crown Court, revealed that Taylor, now aged 67, had a long history of offending against young boys associated with the Sea Cadets, with the latest conviction stemming from incidents that occurred during the mid-1980s.

According to the court, Taylor, who held the rank of lieutenant within the Sea Cadets, deliberately targeted a 13-year-old boy under his care. The victim, who came forward after speaking with another of Taylor’s previous victims, recounted how Taylor had lured him into a vulnerable state by providing alcohol before committing the sexual offences. The court heard that Taylor’s actions were not isolated but part of a pattern of grooming and abuse that spanned several years.

Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, sentenced Taylor to 16 months in prison for three counts of indecent assault. The judge emphasized that the victim, with the benefit of hindsight, recognized that he had been manipulated and groomed by Taylor. In his remarks, Judge Flewitt pointed out the gravity of the case, highlighting that this was the third time Taylor had committed similar offences during the same period of his life. The judge also noted the particularly serious nature of the offences, especially given the use of alcohol to facilitate the abuse, the breach of trust involved, and the significant age disparity between Taylor and his young victims.

Prosecutor Steven Swift detailed the circumstances of the abuse, explaining that Taylor, who was a part-time volunteer responsible for activities such as hiking, camping, and orienteering, took the boy on a camping trip to Wirral Country Park. During this trip, because the boy’s family could not afford a tent, Taylor allowed him to share his. After an evening hike, Taylor took the group to a pub where he purchased alcohol for the young cadets. The victim consumed two or three pints of cider and, on returning to the campsite, was found to be stumbling.

Later that night, the boy awoke to find Taylor “spooning” him from behind, with Taylor’s full weight pressing against him. Fearing he was about to be raped, the boy managed to shift away, bringing the incident to an end. Although he tried to forget the experience, he later recalled being invited to Taylor’s home, which added to his distress. The third incident occurred during another camping trip when Taylor offered to help the boy with his Duke of Edinburgh assessment. Once again, Taylor took him to a pub, bought him alcohol, and caused him to fall on the way back due to intoxication. Back at the campsite, Taylor began touching the boy, who described Taylor’s hands as “everywhere trying to touch me.”

The victim later learned that Taylor had been arrested on suspicion of sex offences but was too embarrassed to admit that he, too, was a victim at the time. It was only in recent years that he confided in another victim about what had happened, which prompted him to report the matter to the police. Taylor’s criminal history includes a 1987 conviction for abusing other boys, as well as a 2010 jail sentence of 27 months for possessing indecent images of children. In September 2012, Taylor was sentenced to two and a half years after admitting to six offences involving the abuse of another Sea Cadet. His criminal record also includes a 1990 conviction for repeatedly abusing a boy in swimming baths in Barrow-in-Furness.

Further details reveal that Taylor, a former merchant seaman residing on Vauxhall Road in Liverpool, has a long history of offending. His previous convictions include a 2010 jail term for child pornography and a 2012 sentence for sexual offences against a Sea Cadet. Despite these past convictions, Taylor was allowed to continue working with children until his latest arrest. When police apprehended him this year, he chose not to comment but ultimately pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault in court.

During the sentencing, Judge Stephen Clarke acknowledged the constraints of the law at the time but emphasized the seriousness of Taylor’s actions. He sentenced Taylor to 30 months in prison and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for life, underscoring the ongoing risk Taylor poses to the community.