A FORMER Scout leader who groomed a 14-year-old girl by sending text messages saying he loved her before trying to have sex with her has been jailed for four years.
Simon Collier, 30, pleaded guilty to three sex offences at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday (July 21) and will remain on the sexual offenders register for life.
The victim's sister told her parents that she had seen Collier "kissing and cuddling" the girl at a swimming pool.
They then checked her phone and found a large number of texts to Collier.
The messages were described as of a "loving nature" by Nneka Akudolu, for the prosecution, in which Collier told the victim that he loved her.
When her parents confronted the girl, she told them it was "just a kiss" and that she had no intention of having sex until she was married.
She told them she knew it was wrong but did not want to get Collier into trouble even though he tried to have a relationship with her "that shouldn't happen" and kept hounding and kissing her.
It then emerged that they had met in an orchard in Southminster, where Collier took off his trousers and told her that they were going to have sex.
He took off some of her clothing and performed a sex act, but she said no to intercourse.
Judge Lynch QC said: "There's evidence here of grooming and targeting.
"Any 29-year-old man like yourself in a position of trust as a Scout leader who takes advantage of a 14-year-old girl sexually does so at their peril.
"This was the classic grooming of a young girl by telling her that you loved her – not to make her feel loved but for your own gratification.
"She was vulnerable not only by virtue of her age but by virtue of her background."
The court had heard that Collier had put pressure on his victim by saying things like "don't you like me?" when she turned down his advances.
Judge Lynch added: "We know the impact this can have on vulnerable young women. You were pressuring her into sex and she felt pressured and scared and had nowhere to go.
"You didn't show her much empathy, it was all about you."
Collier was arrested on August 11 and replied "no comment" to all questions but later pleaded guilty to all charges at the earliest opportunity.
A spokesman for the Scout Association said: "The Scout Association is aware of court proceedings involving Collier.
"Collier's appointment within the Scout Association was cancelled as soon as we were informed by the statutory agencies.
"We can confirm that he will never again be allowed to work within the Scout movement.
"The Scout Association has co-operated fully with the statutory agencies.
"The Scout Association carries out stringent vetting of all adults who work with young people and requires them to work to a strict code of practice outlined in the Young People First Code of Practice."
The court heard that Collier, who has a six-year-old son, had previous mental health issues, was taking medication for depression and had been bullied mentally and emotionally as a child and had little interaction with people his own age.
Suzanne Stringer, for the Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England, added: "Collier was in a position of trust as a Scout leader and his behaviour towards his teenage victim was clearly inappropriate.
"We are pleased he has admitted these offences and has been prosecuted for his actions, which we take very seriously."
