July 2015 Former Scout leader jailed over indecent images of children A former Scout leader who tied up boys for his sexual gratification has been jailed for almost two years for breaching his sexual offences order and looking at sick photos of children. Paul Victor Ellis, 51, of Tregarth, Bangor, was convicted in 2006 of seven offences against boys between 1987 and 2005. He was found guilty of tying boys up and making them wear bondage masks in his role as Scout master. Ellis was jailed for two years at Chester Crown Court, served nine months, and was the subject of a sexual offences prevention order. However, earlier this year, he was found to have breached three of the six conditions: having unsupervised contact with a child under 16, failing to tell police he stayed at a different address, and owning a computer. Today, Caernarfon Crown Court heard Ellis illegally owned a laptop and searched online for images of “tied up boys” and “bound and gagged”, as well as visiting a website strongly linked with child pornography. Upon his release, Ellis, who worked as an ambulance driver and a volunteer mountain rescue member before his conviction in 2006, befriended a woman who had a young son. Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, said that, after becoming close with the family, Ellis gave a bag of clothes to the boy which included a pair of white shorts, with which Ellis has an obsession. Some months later, he questioned the mother as to why her son had not worn them. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the mother said she felt “shock and confusion” at hearing of Ellis’ previous conviction. When police seized and searched Ellis’ laptop in May this year, they discovered 76 indecent images of children including two in Class A, the most severe category. The laptop also contained 14 indecent videos of children. Elen Owen, defending, said Ellis had admitted his guilt at the earliest opportunity and was not a danger to children. She said: “The mother was first contacted through a third party. There is no suggestion he has deliberately targeted her. “Nor is there any suggestion or implication he has done anything untoward to the boy.” Sentencing Ellis to 12 months for the breaches of his order and 10 months for the possession of the images, Judge Niclas Parry said: “These breaches get to the very heart and strike at the purpose of the order. “They created a risk to that young boy and were done at the time you were committing other sexual offences.” However, Judge Parry said he no longer considered Ellis to be a “dangerous offender” due to the passage of time and the fact they were “non-contact offences”. July 2006 Cub leader admits 7 sex offences A cub scout leader has been jailed for two years at Mold Crown Court after admitting seven sexual assault charges. Paul Ellis, of Denbigh, never sexually touched the children, who were all aged under 13, but his motives were sexual. Ellis was banned from working with children for the rest of his life, and must remain on the sex offenders’ register for the next 10 years. The offences related to a Vale of Clwyd-based cub group, and took place between 1987 and 1995. The court heard how he organised sleep-overs for the cubs, without telling his superiors, and would encourage the boys to wear white shorts. His password on his computer messaging system was “bachgen bach” (Welsh for small boy) and his password was “shorts”. He videoed the youngsters, sometimes without their knowledge. When police searched his home they found recordings and still images of the youngsters, as well as recordings of himself tied up. Judge David Hale told him: “You were abusing the trust of the boys, their parents who trusted you to look after them, and you abused the trust of the Scout Movement which is extremely vulnerable to anyone who behaves in this way”. Det Sgt Graham Talbot, of North Wales Police, said: “He abused the trust that was instilled in him by parents of young boys by filming them both covertly and overtly without their knowledge. “We welcome today’s sentence along with the fact that he should never work with children or young people again.”