A SCOUT leader has been jailed for four years after committing sex offences involving two schoolgirls, in one case at a Scout camp.

Sentencing Peter Gavin at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Judge James Spencer QC said he had undergone the relevant safeguarding training to be in his position of trust with the Scout group concerned and therefore knew it was wrong to take advantage of their naivety.

“You knew as well as anybody else it was illegal to do what you did and I am quite sure you only did it for your own sexual gratification.”

Mark McKone, prosecuting, said in early 2015 the girls began to have online contact with Gavin, and there came a point when he realised who he was in contact with and continued to speak to them privately.

An “online relationship” then developed between him and one of the girls, although she was only 14 at the time. He told police later he realised she had a “crush” on him.

During the course of this contact they discussed sex and the defendant sent her an indecent picture of himself and she sent him some pictures of her naked breasts, said Mr McKone.

She described a break-up between them prior to a Scout camp in May last year where Gavin, 24, committed offences involving the second girl.

The second girl was also only 14 and he persuaded her to meet him late one night at a toilet block that he knew could be locked from the inside.

Once he had locked them in he kissed her, undressed her, touched her sexually and persuaded her to perform a sex act on him before they returned to their respective tents.

Mr McKone said it was clear from what Gavin later said in police interview that he knew that girl was upset by what had happened in their sexual encounter because he accepted he had apologised to her.

John Ozyer, representing Gavin, said texts between him and the second girl showed he had apologised more than once for what had happened that night.

“He accepts he was in a position of trust and clearly abused that trust.”

Since then he had voluntarily attended the Safer Lives programme.

Gavin, of Chats Wood Fold, Oakenshaw, Bradford, admitted one offence of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Judge Spencer said there had to be a jail sentence since he had encouraged the first girl to secretly have an “online” relationship with him rather than steer her away from such contact, then when that was petering out he had groomed the second girl and taken advantage of her.