Update July 2012 – Thrown out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2010 for allegations of grooming and incitement of procuring a teenage boy for sexual activity. Currently part of the mormon church and latter day saints in Liverpool, working as a family history missionary. Continues to groom teenage boys on social networking sites and is still poses a sexual risk to both teenage boys and girls March 1998 Perverts con 15,000 people to satisfy sick foot fetish PERVERTS Steven Bain (or Baine as he also known) and Steven Gawthrop conned 15,000 people into giving them SOCKS to fulfill their sick fantasies.  Their bizarre foot fetish was uncovered as police investigated a sordid catalogue of sex acts involving the pair.  Officers who searched their homes found an 18-inch deep “carpet” of socks and numerous pictures of their owners.  Sgt John Belger told a court yesterday: “They were everywhere and anywhere – on furniture, hanging from lampshades and even covering the microwave. The majority were in good condition.  “It was like there had been an explosion in a sock factory and they had been blown all over the place. I’ve never seen anything like it.”  Care assistant Bain, 28, and mature sociology student Gawthrop, 32, admitted incitement to wound each other and plotting to commit gross indecency with young men. The court heard they made weekend trips to pubs and clubs where they persuaded drinkers to part with footwear “for charity”.  Two cops and a traffic warden were among donors. But it was a sham to hide the couple’s fascination with feet.  Gawthrop filled 12 bin bags with part of the haul at his flat in Southport, Merseyside.  Each pair was neatly wrapped in sandwich bags and tagged with the donor’s name.  In contrast Bain, who worked in an old people’s home, turned his Southport home into a stinking pit. The pair were arrested after film processors developed a string of obscene photos. Police later found thousands more pictures.  The case at Liverpool Crown Court was adjourned until next month for reports. Judge David Maddison said: “This is of public concern.”  During their probe detectives advertised for duped sock owners to get in touch so they could be re-united. But not a single pair was claimed.  They were later donated to the Salvation Army.  While on remand in prison Bain has worked in the laundry room – cleaning other prisoners’ socks.