RICHARD BURROWS GUILTY OF SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST BOYS IN CHESTER

A notorious sex offender, Richard Burrows, who spent nearly three decades evading justice after stealing an innocent man’s identity, has been convicted of multiple sexual crimes involving young boys.

On Monday, 17 March 2025, Chester Crown Court found Burrows guilty of 54 charges, including indecent assault, buggery, attempted buggery, and indecency with a child.

The 80-year-old, currently held at HMP Altcourse, had previously pleaded guilty to 43 counts, which included indecent assault of boys, making and possessing indecent images of children, as well as four counts of possessing false identity documents with intent.

He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on Monday, 7 April, where he will face a total of 97 offences.

Court proceedings revealed that between 1968 and 1995, Burrows systematically abused 24 young boys across Cheshire, West Midlands, and West Mercia. The offences in Cheshire took place from 1969 to 1971 while he worked as a Housemaster at Danesford Children’s Home in Congleton, where he looked after vulnerable children.

Victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia regions, also young boys, were abused from 1968 through 1995, mostly through local Scout groups where Burrows served as a leader. The court heard that he used his trusted position to befriend the boys, often engaging in common interests such as radio communications or boating, which helped him gain their trust—and in many cases, their families’—before sexually abusing the boys.

Several victims attempted to speak out during the time of the offences, but many felt that their claims would not be believed. It was only in the 1990s, after revelations about other children’s homes and institutions, that many victims gained the confidence to come forward.

Following allegations related to Danesford Children’s Home, a major investigation was launched by Cheshire Police in 1994. Burrows was first arrested in April 1997 and charged in May 1997 with two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault concerning both Cheshire and other West Midlands offences.

After an initial court appearance, Burrows was released on bail, scheduled for a hearing at Chester Crown Court on 8 December 1997. However, he failed to appear, and officers soon discovered he had vanished.

Over the subsequent 27 years, detectives made numerous efforts to locate him, including public wanted appeals, four Crimewatch broadcasts, and following various leads, all of which indicated he had not left the UK. Despite extensive inquiries with agencies domestically and internationally, no trace of Burrows was found.

His case remained active on Cheshire Police’s wanted list, with regular reviews. It wasn’t until April 2023 that a breakthrough occurred when detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit utilized specialized software to search for images of Burrows online.

The search resulted in a match with a man using the name Peter Smith, residing in Chalong, Phuket, Thailand. This individual had an active interest in sailing, previously worked in advertising in Phuket, and notably featured in local news in 2019 upon his retirement.

Further investigation revealed that Burrows had stolen the identity of a terminally ill acquaintance named Peter Smith. This deception enabled him to procure a legitimate passport in 1997 and leave the UK undetected.

Once confirmed as Burrows, authorities coordinated with the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service to arrange extradition. Prior to formal proceedings, officers learned of Burrows’ plan to return to the UK under the alias Peter Smith. The NCA alerted Thai authorities and monitored his travel; Burrows was arrested immediately upon landing at Heathrow Airport.

Following his arrest, Burrows faced additional charges related to offenses committed in Cheshire, the West Midlands, and West Mercia, which had been reported after his disappearance.

Over the years, numerous victims had come forward at different police stations in response to media appeals and crimewatch broadcasts. Many only felt ready to speak out after Burrows’ arrest, inspired by seeing justice take its course.