Wilson Alexander Reid, a 67-year-old man originally from Portadown but residing on Ferris Bay Road in Islandmagee, Northern Ireland, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on 2 December 2025 for a series of sexual offences committed against a teenage boy between November 2001 and August 2006.
Reid, who had previously been decorated by the Queen for his involvement in the Scouts and served as assistant district commissioner, exploited his position of authority to gain access to the victim, aged 14 to 19 at the time. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency on a full-facts basis. The prosecution left five similar offences on the books, acknowledging the pattern of abuse.
During the offences, Reid provided the boy with alcohol and pornographic material before subjecting him to repeated sexual abuse at his home. The victim reported being abused 'hundreds of times', primarily through inappropriate touching, but also including instances of performing sex acts and attempted penetration. Judge Gordon Kerr KC described the behaviour as having clear elements of grooming, noting Reid's high level of culpability and the significant harm caused.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Kerr highlighted that the sentence would have been nine years but was reduced to three years due to Reid's prior 10-year sentence for similar offences against other children, which predated these crimes. The judge considered whether a longer term would have been imposed if all cases were dealt with together, ultimately imposing three years on each count concurrently.
The victim's impact statement, as read in court, detailed the profound effects of the abuse, including years of challenging behaviour, mental health issues, alcohol and drug problems, and self-blame. Positively, the victim expressed a desire to 'turn my horrible experiences into something good'. A pre-sentence report on Reid noted his claim of sexual interest only in adult females, despite his history, and accepted his abuse of the boy through grooming tactics like providing food, alcohol, and pornography.
Given Reid's deteriorating health, increasing age, and lack of recent offending, Judge Kerr assessed his current risk as decreased. Consequently, no Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed, though Reid remains on the police Sex Offenders Register and will be on licence upon release. The case was reported by Paul Higgins for the Antrim Times on 2 December 2025.