NOTTINGHAM SCOUT LEADER STEVEN MCNALLY SENTENCED TO 26 YEARS FOR HISTORIC CHILD SEX ABUSE
A former Scout leader and housemaster at a children’s home in Nottingham has been handed a lengthy prison sentence of 26 years after a jury convicted him of multiple counts of historic sexual abuse.Steven McNally, now aged 67, was found guilty of abusing five young boys during the period between 1974 and 1979, when he was employed at Nazareth House Children’s Home in Lenton and also served as a Scout leader for the Bishop’s Own Troop in Nottingham.
His trial at Nottingham Crown Court revealed disturbing details of the abuse inflicted upon the victims, who ranged in age from just five to fifteen at the time.
The court heard that McNally’s offending spanned several years and involved multiple instances of sexual misconduct.
The defendant was extradited from his residence in Ireland to face trial, where jurors ultimately found him guilty on 24 out of 29 counts listed in the indictment.
Specifically, McNally was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault on a child, seven counts of indecent assault on a child on at least five separate occasions, three counts of indecency with a child, two counts of indecency with a child on no fewer than five occasions, and one count of buggery on a person under 16.
The sentencing hearing took place on 19 January, during which McNally was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison, with an additional one-year extended licence period.
He was informed that he would need to serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible to apply for parole and potential release on licence.
The court heard that most of the abuse occurred while McNally was working as a housemaster at Nazareth House, an institution operated by the Sisters of Nazareth Catholic order.
Four of the five victims had been residents at the children’s home, while the fifth was abused after joining a Scout group also run by McNally.
The Nottinghamshire Police investigation that uncovered these crimes was initiated after a victim came forward in 2016, inspired by a storyline about child sexual abuse on the ITV soap Emmerdale.
One of the victims recounted that he was abused by McNally during camping trips from the age of 11, including trips to Crich and Tollerton.
The court heard that McNally, then aged 18, repeatedly entered the victim’s tent during these trips, carrying out sexual acts.
Another victim, who was around nine years old at the time, described how he was subjected to repeated abuse by McNally on the grounds of Nazareth House and inside McNally’s car.
This victim also revealed that McNally had been aware of the beatings he received from the nuns and had told him he would look after him and visit him at night, only to exploit that trust for sexual abuse.
Two additional victims, aged around five or six at the time, disclosed that McNally saw them as his “play things” and that he had both physically beaten and sexually abused them.
The fifth victim expressed that McNally had “stolen his childhood,” recounting abuse at Nazareth House as well as at a Nottingham address that belonged to McNally’s parents.
The case highlights a dark chapter in Nottingham’s history, exposing the extent of abuse within institutions meant to care for vulnerable children.
The court’s verdict and subsequent sentencing serve as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding and the need for justice for victims of such heinous crimes.
