Matthew Ian Bell

Matthew Ian Bell, a former cub-scout leader, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Court of Appeal on 27 January 2016 after his initial suspended sentence was deemed unduly lenient.

In September 2015, at Hull Crown Court, Bell pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under his care, abusing a position of trust. He also admitted to offences of making and possessing indecent images of children. The original sentence imposed was two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years.

The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, arguing that the suspended sentence did not adequately reflect the gravity of the offences. Following the appeal hearing, the Court overturned the suspension and activated the custodial term, extending it to three years.

Robert Buckland stated after the hearing: 'The original sentence did not reflect the severity of the offences committed by Bell. He was placed in a position of trust which he clearly abused, and a suspended sentence was not warranted in those circumstances.' This case was published by the Attorney General's Office under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government, highlighting efforts to ensure appropriate sentencing for child sex offences.