Ex-Scout Leader Convicted of 97 Child Abuse Offenses After 27 Years on the Run

Richard Burrows, 80, was found guilty of abusing 26 boys between the 1960s and 1990s, having evaded justice for decades by fleeing to Thailand under a stolen identity.

Richard Burrows, a former housemaster and scout leader, systematically abused 26 boys over nearly three decades across Cheshire, the West Midlands, and West Mercia.
He fled the UK in 1997 using a stolen identity and lived in Thailand for 27 years, describing his time there as 'paradise.'
Facial recognition software identified Burrows in 2023, leading to his arrest at Heathrow Airport upon his return to the UK.
Burrows was convicted of 97 offenses, including indecent assault, indecency with a child, and charges equivalent to rape, and will be sentenced on April 7, 2025.
Victims and law enforcement expressed relief at his conviction, though some victims passed away before seeing justice served.