David Hughes

A former football coach and youth worker from south London has been found guilty of committing historic sexual offences against boys spanning nearly three decades. David Hughes, aged 66, was convicted at Croydon Crown Court of 14 counts, including 10 counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15, and two counts of causing the same boy to engage in sexual activity. The offences targeted four boys aged between eight and 15.

The majority of the offences occurred between 1988 and 1995, during which time Hughes was employed as a youth worker in New Addington and volunteered as a football coach. According to the Metropolitan Police, Hughes exploited his positions of trust to groom and assault the victims. On three occasions, he purchased football tops or boots for the boys before carrying out the assaults. One victim was groomed with a trip to the cinema to see Jurassic Park in 1993, along with gifts and attention. Another assault took place during an organised camping trip.

Further offences were committed in 2017 and 2018, independent of his employment. Upon his arrest in December 2018 at his home on King Henry’s Drive, officers discovered a black holdall containing children’s underwear, with additional new items found during a search of the address. Hughes was charged in February 2020 and remanded in custody. Provisional sentencing was scheduled for 25 November 2021.

Detective Constable Dave Brewster from the Met’s central specialist crime team described Hughes’s actions as 'premeditated, predatory behaviour spanning almost 30 years.' He noted that Hughes sought roles granting access to children in the 1980s and 1990s, betraying the trust of vulnerable boys who felt unable to report the abuse due to shame and embarrassment. The victims’ bravery in coming forward in 2018 and 2019 enabled the conviction, with some stating it helped them move on from the lasting impact of the offences.

The Metropolitan Police investigation highlighted how Hughes’s role as a trusted figure in the community facilitated the abuse. This case underscores the long-term effects of such predatory behaviour and the importance of reporting historic abuse.