Richard burrows, who evaded justice for 27 years by fleeing to Thailand, is convicted of 97 child sexual abuse offences.

Richard Burrows, a former boarding school housemaster and scout leader, has been found guilty of 97 offences, including historical child sexual abuse, after spending 27 years on the run in Thailand.

The 80-year-old paedophile was arrested at Heathrow Airport last year as he returned to the UK, reportedly after running out of money. He had previously fled the country in 1997, using a stolen identity to evade authorities.

A jury at Chester Crown Court convicted Burrows on Monday, finding him guilty of a further 54 charges, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery, and indecency with a child. Before the trial, he had already admitted to 43 other offences, including making and possessing indecent images of children and using false identity documents.

A Predator Who Abused His Position of Trust

Burrows systematically targeted vulnerable boys over four decades, grooming them through positions of authority in schools, scout groups, and amateur radio clubs.

Prosecutor Mark Connor KC told the court:

“He obtained positions of trust and responsibility which he breached to satisfy himself sexually with the youngsters.”

One of his victims, James Harvey, was just 13 or 14 when Burrows befriended him through the Sea Scouts. Harvey, who has waived his right to anonymity, described Burrows as a “despicable, evil human being.”

“I want his name to be trashed in the world for everybody that ever knew him and thought that he was okay,” Harvey told Sky News. “He could casually, over 60 years, do this to children and still wake up in the morning and justify it.”

Decades on the Run in Thailand

Burrows first fled the UK in 1997 after being charged with child sexual offences. A warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear in court.

For nearly three decades, he lived in hiding under the false identity of Peter Leslie Smith, using stolen documents to build a new life in Phuket, Thailand.

Facial recognition software eventually exposed Burrows’ whereabouts, and police learned he planned to return to the UK. Authorities allowed him to travel on his fake passport, ensuring he could be arrested upon arrival at Heathrow.

The Impact on Victims and the Hunt for More Survivors

Burrows’ abuse spanned four decades, with at least 26 known victims. Many of them attempted to speak out at the time but felt they would not be believed.

Detective Inspector Eli Atkinson of Cheshire Police believes there may be more victims yet to come forward.

“It would not surprise me if, given the length of time he offended over and the level of offending, there were more people out there who were victims of him,” DI Atkinson stated.

James Harvey, reflecting on his trauma, also questioned why Burrows was granted bail in 1997, allowing him to escape justice for so long.

“We lived in this kind of unbelievable ignorance and innocence that there were predators like this living in every single one of our institutions,” Harvey said.

Sentencing Awaited

Burrows has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on April 7 for his 97 offences.

Some of his victims never lived to see justice served, but for those who survived, his conviction brings a long-overdue reckoning for a man who spent decades preying on children and evading justice