Former Magistrate Sentenced

A former magistrate and Boys? Brigade leader who pretended to be a pillar of the community while abusing boys over a 40-year period was jailed on Monday.

Married David Lyn Jenkins, 70, from Brighton, East Sussex, abused his positions of authority to get close to his young victims.

One of them, now aged 16, was at Lewes Crown Court to see him sentenced to four years for what he did to him, and sobbed as the pensioner was led off to the cells.

Jenkins, from Brighton, East Sussex, admitted five counts of sexual abuse against two boys under 14 between 1968 and 2009.

Police fear there may be other victims who have not come forward.

Jenkins? life of deceit has finally caught up with him and the court heard his wife was now divorcing him, he had lost his home and his friends and was waiting for tests to find out if he had cancer.

His earliest known victim went to police in 2001 when he feared the pervert was targeting his own son, but the case collapsed because he was too traumatised to give evidence.

Jenkins, who served as a magistrate in Surrey and led Boys' Brigade groups at the United Reformed Church in Redhill and nearby Merstham Baptist Church, went on to abuse another boy between 2003 and 2009.

The pervert, who was also a football coach, targeted his victims while taking them to play sports, the court heard.

In 1968 he befriended a 13-year-old boy in Reigate, Surrey, taking him swimming and to a holiday camp.

The youngster saw Jenkins as a father figure, even though the pair were not related.

The victim, now in his fifties, kept quiet about the abuse he suffered for more than 30 years until he came across Jenkins when he had two small children of his own.

He was shocked when Jenkins offered his young son a lift to football coaching sessions and reported him to police for the first time.

However he was too traumatised to give evidence in court and the charges were dropped.

Jenkins befriended another boy aged 12 in 2006 by taking him to play badminton.

The boy eventually told his mother the magistrate had been abusing him and she went to police.

His earlier victim then agreed to take the stand against him.
 
Sentencing Jenkins, Judge Guy Anthony told him: "It may be that the urges that you have had over the last 40 years have been to a large extent kept under control.  But on one occasion in 1968, and on several occasions over the last five years you succumbed to them.

"As somebody who has until quite recently been a magistrate, you ought to have known better. You do the magistracy no credit.

"You are now 70. By the time you leave prison you will be significantly older."

The younger victim's father, who can not be named, said he was relieved his son had not been put through the ordeal of a trial.

Speaking after Jenkins' guilty plea at an earlier hearing, he said: "I think in some ways it was bittersweet for him as he wanted his day, to stand there and face him. He wanted the legal system to believe him.

"But I think he felt relieved, massively relieved really.

"They both have a huge amount of guts to come forward, they are both so brave and I am really proud of my son."

A pre-sentence report found Jenkins to be remorseless and a medium to high risk of re-offending.

It called him "flat and emotionless".

Jenkins' defence counsel Glenn Harris said: "He has lost all his family because of what he has done. He's lost his wife of 40 years, who is in the process of seeking a divorce from Mr Jenkins. He's lost his home and his friends.

"He, through me, wishes to apologise to both his victims. He is deeply ashamed of what he has done."

The judge ordered that Jenkins remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.