Stephen Ireland of 'Pride in Surrey' was found guilty of 'causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault of a child under 13 and six counts of making indecent images of children.'
(LifeSiteNews) — The co-founder of an LGBT lobby group in the U.K. has been found guilty of raping a 12-year-old boy he met through the homosexual hookup app Grindr.
The Guildford Crown Court convicted 41-year-old Stephen Ireland for raping the child in a flat that he shared with 27-year-old David Sutton.
Ireland co-founded the LGBT group “Pride in Surrey” in 2018. In addition to being convicted for the rape that he committed on April 19, 2024, after contacting the boy on the app Grindr, he was found guilty of “causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault of a child under 13 and six counts of making indecent images of children,” the BBC reported.
Sutton, who volunteered for “Pride in Surrey,” was convicted on three counts of making indecent photos of children and one count of “possession of an extreme pornographic image.”
Sutton and Ireland also admitted to possessing pornographic images of children, with Sutton admitting to two counts of distributing “indecent photographs of a child.”
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Debbie White, the head of Surrey Police’s public protection, said, "Stephen Ireland was a sexual predator who targeted a young boy and took advantage of his age and vulnerability for his own gratification.
"Both men then tried to cover up their offending by intentionally deleting material from their phones once they became aware of the police investigation and following their arrests.”
"This has been an extremely difficult and complex investigation, and I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and dedication,” she continued.
"I hope the convictions today send a clear message to any victim of a sexual offence that you will be listened to, you will be supported, and we will investigate such crimes thoroughly."A “Pride in Surrey” spokesperson told the BBC that it "utterly condemns" Ireland and Sutton's crimes.
"We remain committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our community,” they stated.
The two offenders were convicted after a month-long trial and will be sentenced on June 30.
