The founder of the largest Pride organization in Surrey, UK, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse against children. Stephen Ireland, 40, was arrested on Wednesday along with one of the volunteers from his organization, David Sutton, 26.
According to Surrey Police, Ireland and Sutton, both of whom worked with local pride organization Pride in Surrey, have jointly been charged with 15 offenses, including:
- Six counts of conspiracy to sexually assault a child;
- One count of conspiracy to kidnap a child;
- Four counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence;
- One count of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent;
- One count of publishing an obscene article;
- One count of voyeurism;
- One count of perverting the course of justice.
Ireland has been further charged with an additional 22 offenses of a serious nature, including the rape of a child, the sexual assault of a child, six counts of making indecent photographs of children, two count of possessing prohibited images of children, and more.
In all cases, the victim is said to be under the age of 13.
Ireland’s Pride in Surrey colleague, David Sutton, has similarly been handed another 7 offenses, including possessing prohibited images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, and two counts of making indecent photographs of children.
The sickening crimes are set to have taken place between August of 2022 and July of 2024.
While Ireland and Sutton have been remanded to custody awaiting a hearing, Surrey Police is calling for anyone with more information on the crimes to come forward as the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone who may have information beneficial to the case is asked to contact Surrey Police quoting reference number PR/45240080974 via their online reporting tool or by calling 101. If an individual with information wishes not to speak directly with police, the option is available to contact independent charity Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.
Providing comment to the BBC, a spokesperson for Pride in Surrey said that the organization had become aware of Ireland’s charges via a social media post.
“On 12 June, Pride in Surrey were informed by Surrey Police of an ongoing investigation surrounding two volunteers. Both volunteers were immediately suspended from the organisation. Following this, a decision was made to remove them both from the organisation, as well as Stephen Ireland as a director. We were not aware of the exact nature of the crimes being investigated.”
All references to both Ireland and Sutton have been scrubbed from the Pride in Surrey website, and the page listing members of the team is now password-protected, but Ireland in particular has a lengthy public persona and had been a fixture in the LGBT community in Surrey for years after hosting the first-ever Pride event in the county in 2018.
Following the establishment of Pride in Surrey, Ireland’s organization was responsible for arranging the annual Pride festivities, which included activities for children and youth.
In 2021, Ireland was invited to speak at an LGBT History Month Seminar hosted by Surrey Police.
In February of 2024, Pride in Surrey also shortlisted Surrey Police for a Community Champion Award. The page listing the event has since been scrubbed, but was viewed by Reduxx prior to its deletion.
Ireland also launched “Pride Hub,” which he described as an “exciting and unique venue for the LGBTQI+ community and allies in which to meet, socialise and access valuable services.” The space offered refreshments, games, and access to lube and condoms.
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