A former scout leader and Sunday school teacher has been convicted of sexually abusing young boys during camping trips around Scotland.
Eighty-six-year-old Jack Townsley touched the school children inappropriately as they lay in their beds or sleeping bags.
He was only caught out – more than 40 years later – when one of his victims was prompted to go to the police after watching a TV programme about Jimmy Saville.
Townsley went on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court this week accused of using lewd and libidinous practices towards four young boys in the in 1970s.
Yesterday one of the men broke down in tears as the jury of 10 men and five women found the pensioner guilty of three of the charges.
The remaining charge against him was found not proven.
Giving evidence during the first day of the trial, one victim said Townsley had put him into a bunk bed in Templars’ Park, Maryculter, Aberdeenshire, when he complained about missing his family in Glasgow.
He said Townsley, of 171 The Auld Road, Cumbernauld, stood and watched as he “stripped off into his pyjamas” then started to touch him.
Addressing the OAP, who has had contact with more than 30,000 children throughout his career, Sheriff William Summers said he would find it difficult to deal with him in any way other than by sending him to jail.
He said: “These offences are appalling by any nature but they are even more so given that each of them involved a serious breach of trust.
“It is hard to imagine disposing of these cases other than by the imposition of a custodial sentence. That is at the forefront of my mind. I can’t impose that today because you have not been in any sort of trouble before.”
Sentence was deferred until next month. Townsley, who had denied the allegations, was placed on the sex offenders’ register yesterday.
In evidence, he had claimed the allegations were a “conspiracy” a “collusion” and a “pack of lies”.
Last night, a spokesman from the Scout Association said it had been aware of the court proceedings
He said: “The Scout Association condemns the actions of Townsley.
“Townsley has not been involved in the Scout movement since 2001. We can confirm that he will never again be allowed to work within the Scout movement.”