THE jury is out in the trial of a former scout leader accused of dozens of sexual offences against children.
David Burland has been on trial for the past week at Taunton Crown Court having been charged with 33 crimes, including 18 counts of indecently assaulting boys aged under 16.
The former leader of the 1st Burnham Scout group is also charged with nine counts of sexual activity with a child, two charges of indecency with a child, three charges of sexual assault and one count of exposure, with the incidents alleged to have taken place from June 1987 to December 2010.
Burland, aged 54, and of Ramsay Way, Burnham, denies all the charges and has claimed that some of his accusers are involved in a conspiracy against him.
Ian Fenny, prosecuting, had described him as a ‘skilled child abuser’ and ‘a sexual predator.’
Both the prosecution and defence have finished their submissions, and the jury is currently considering its verdict.
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