A former BBC star branded a “predatory paedophile” has been sentenced to 22 years in jail today after being convicted of sexual offences against seven boys aged between 11 and 16.
Michael Souter, ex-BBC Norfolk presenter was found guilty of 26 offences including indecent assault, indecency with a child, serious sexual offences, and seven counts of possessing indecent images of children at a trial which finished earlier this month.
Norfolk Police said the 60-year-old, of Low Bungay Road, Loddon, Norfolk, was responsible for "one of the worst cases of prolonged child abuse" officers had dealt with.
During the trial Souter, who was involved in the Scouts and a social services youth mentoring scheme, was described by the prosecutors as a "sexual deviant" obsessed with young boys in shorts and uniform.
Souter’s attempts to maintain that the accusations were fabricated were described by Judge Mark Lucraft QC as “pathetic.” He said: "The childhood of many of your victims was destroyed and their lives blighted.
"You exploited your position to groom each of them. You took hundreds of photographs of boys in shorts and were the only person in this court who could not see these pictures for what they were."
The judge added that Souter’s "ongoing sexual obsession with boys" could lead him to further offending after his release and therefore banned him indefinitely of working with children.
He was also charged with the legal costs of £14,694 and may be forced to sell some of his properties in the UK and abroad to pay this, the court heard.
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