A man has been jailed for 24 years for raping an "extremely vulnerable" 12-
year-old boy after the pair met on a dating app.
Stephen Ireland, 41, who co-founded Pride in Surrey in 2018, raped the child at
the flat he shared with his then-partner and co-defendant David Sutton, 27, in
Addlestone on 19 April 2024 after messaging on Grindr.
Ireland was also sentenced to a further six years on extended licence, while
Sutton was jailed for four-and-a-half years for making indecent photographs of
children and possession of an extreme pornographic image.
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J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling
Stephen Ireland, who targeted me with endless abuse on here because I
oppose the chemical castration of children and the removal of protected
spaces for women and girls, has just been sentenced to 30 years in jail for child rape.
https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1939783256620298492
The court heard the boy had initially told Ireland he was aged 17 – but when
he later claimed to be aged 13, Ireland replied: "OK – we just have to keep it
a secret."
"Your response was telling," Judge Lees told Ireland, who sat in the dock
dressed in a large red T-shirt and showed no emotions throughout the
hearing.
"Far from finding that repugnant, you found that exciting, and sought to do it again."
On the same day, Ireland asked the boy if he would have a threesome and
sent the child pictures of himself and Sutton.
Jurors heard that Ireland sent a picture of Child A to Sutton, describing him
as a "14-year-old baby" who "wants to play with men's bodies", and the pair
exchanged messages about the child.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2kkrxdpndo