Stephen Ireland

Stephen Ireland, a 41-year-old co-founder of the LGBTQ+ group Pride in Surrey established in 2018, has been found guilty of a series of grave sexual offences against children following a trial at Guildford Crown Court. The convictions centre on his predatory actions towards a 12-year-old boy whom he groomed and raped after connecting via the dating app Grindr.

The court heard that on 19 April 2024, Ireland lured the boy to the flat he shared with David Sutton in Addlestone, Surrey. There, Ireland raped the child, and the boy later recounted to police that they engaged in sexual activity, smoked a bong, and watched pornography on a laptop. Ireland was convicted of rape, three counts of causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, and one count of conspiracy to sexually assault a child.

• Making six counts of indecent images of children
• Distributing four counts of indecent images of children
• Publishing two counts of obscene articles, specifically electronic messages relating to child sexual abuse
• Possession of prohibited images of children
• Possession of an extreme pornographic image
• Voyeurism, after watching live footage of Sutton engaging in sex with a 17-year-old boy
• Perverting the course of justice by deleting material from his phone upon awareness of the police investigation

Ireland was acquitted of five counts of conspiracy to sexually assault a child, one count of conspiracy to kidnap a child, three counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, and one count of sexual communication with a child. Prior to the trial, he pleaded guilty to possession of prohibited images of children and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Debbie White of Surrey Police's public protection team described Ireland as 'a sexual predator who targeted a young boy and took advantage of his age and vulnerability for his own gratification.' She praised the victim's courage in coming forward and giving evidence, stating that the guilty verdicts would help the boy rebuild his life and ensure Ireland no longer poses a risk. Claire Gallagher, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, emphasised that Ireland demonstrated 'a perverted and dangerous interest in children.'

The trial, which involved Ireland and Sutton facing a total of 38 offences, concluded with verdicts after the jury deliberated for over 23 hours. Both men showed no visible reaction in court, where Ireland wore a navy suit and white shirt. Sentencing for both is scheduled at Guildford Crown Court on 30 June 2025. The case was investigated by Surrey Police, highlighting the force's commitment to protecting vulnerable children from sexual exploitation.