Former boarding school housemaster and scout leader Richard Burrows, who spent 27 years on the run using a stolen identity, has been jailed for 46 years for numerous sexual offences against young boys.
The 81-year-old systematically abused 24 boys, some as young as nine, across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas between 1968 and 1995.
He was arrested at Heathrow Airport last year, upon returning to the UK on the eve of his 80th birthday.
Burrows told family he had come back to face his accusers and his maker. Police say the truth was that he simply had run out of money.
The 81-year-old systematically abused 24 boys, some as young as nine, across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas between 1968 and 1995
Cheshire Constabulary
Prior to his trial, Burrows admitted to 43 offences - including indecent assault of boys, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent.
The 81-year-old denied 54 others, which jurors at Chester Crown Court convicted him of last month.
Those offences include indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.
In emails found after his arrest, Burrows described "living in paradise" from 1997 after he fled to Thailand.
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Burrows was arrested at Heathrow Airport last March on the eve of his 80th birthday when he returned to the UKPOLICE HANDOUTThat same year, he had been charged with a number of historical sex offences and was bailed but failed to attend a plea hearing at Chester Crown Court in December 1997.
Numerous police appeals and Crimewatch appeals on national television were launched to find the paedophile but to no avail.
In April 2023, detectives from Cheshire Police’s serious and organised crime unit used specialist facial recognition software to search for any possible images of Burrows online.
He was later matched to a man with the name Peter Smith, a terminally ill friend whose identity he had stolen to obtain a passport. He was living in Chalong in Phuket, Thailand.
The 81-year-old was tried at Chester Crown Court last month
Cheshire PCCThe jury at Chester Crown Court last month heard that Burrows systematically abused boys with whom he came into contact through positions as a house master and scout leader.
Mark Connor KC said: "He obtained positions of trust and responsibility which he breached to satisfy himself sexually with the youngsters."
His first victim, who was aged 14 at the time, described Burrows as a "devious, nasty creature".
The man, who is now 71, told Sky News: "It does actually feel like a weight's been lifted. You hear that expression all through life, but it's the first time ever really felt it.
