June 2005 Scout leader admits abusing boys A scout leader has been jailed for carrying out a number of sex attacks on boys in Greater Manchester. Paul Billington, 60, of Northwich, Cheshire, was described by a judge as “every parent’s worst nightmare”. Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard how he filmed boys as they showered in a scout hut. Billington admitted indecent assault and sexual activity with a child and was jailed for five years on Wednesday. ‘Polite man’ He also admitted voyeurism and making and taking indecent photographs. Richard Vardon, prosecuting, told the court that police found more than 5,500 indecent pictures of boys on his computer, which he had downloaded from the internet. Greater Manchester Police investigated Billington, who was scout leader for Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowden and Timperley, after receiving complaints from four boys. Detectives searched his house and removed his laptop, computer discs, video cassettes, minidiscs and an MP3 player. ‘Position of trust’ He was charged with the offences in December 2004. Billington’s defence counsel David Bruce said he is a “polite man” who “has the capacity to change.” Judge Timothy Mort said banned him from working with children for life. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register. After the hearing, Det Sgt Sharon Scotson from Greater Manchester Police said: “Billington was a manipulative and dangerous individual who gained the trust of children, parents and members of the Scout movement. “He abused that position of trust and orchestrated the situation in order to be alone with the young boys, who he then sexually abused. “Had it not been for the extremely courageous act of one of the boys reporting this to police Billington would have continued to offend, causing more suffering.”