Essex scout leader abused boys at church group, court hears

Michael John Costin, 58, is on trial over allegations he plied boys who saw him as “a hero” with booze and drugs, then sexually assaulted them.

The eight charges he denies relate to seven boys he allegedly abused in the early 1990s after moving from Havering to Suffolk.

But jurors were told he has already admitted molesting and performing oral sex on boys in London and Suffolk – including three scouts in Havering in the 1980s.

He admitted his Romford crimes at Snaresbrook Crown Court in June 2023, but his pleas could not be reported in case it prejudiced his forthcoming trial.

Judge Alex Gordon has now allowed jurors at Snaresbrook to hear of last year’s guilty pleas, as the admitted offences allegedly show a pattern of criminal conduct.

Michael Costin became a 'young leader' in the scouts at 16, jurors were told, and continued helping out at the Rush Green group until his early 20s, when he relocated to Suffolk (Image: Google Streetview)

“Because of the obvious connection between the two – the similarity of the behaviour – the prosecution have applied successfully for you, this jury, to be told about those previous matters,” prosecutor Walton Hornsby said of the Romford offences.

“What the prosecution say those convictions clearly demonstrate is this defendant having a propensity, a tendency, to the systematic abuse of teenage boys – in particular, scouts that he has come into contact with as a scout leader.”

Jurors were told Costin, nicknamed Mick, grew up in Rush Green and joined a scouts group attached to St Augustine’s Church.

At 16, he became a “young leader” at that group, where he continued to help out until his early 20s, using that access to sexually abuse three boys aged 12-16.

After qualifying as a teacher at Exeter University in 1987, Costin moved to Suffolk, where he lived in Graham Road, Walton, and became a geography teacher at Orwell High School in Felixstowe.

He also joined the First Kirton Sea Scouts and again began preying on children.

Michael 'Mick' Costin is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court over eight counts of indecent assault on boys under his supervision in the early 1990s in Suffolk (Image: Charles Thomson)

Costin has admitted a string of offences against scouts in Kirton as well, jurors heard, but denies eight specific allegations, for which he is standing trial.

“For the most part, these allegations have been made independently of each other,” Mr Hornsby said.

“It’s clear that all of these boys looked up to Michael Costin. He was a charismatic individual. He was sporty, friendly and exercised a certain influence over these boys.

“You will hear about grooming type behaviour. Introducing them to sexuality by showing them pornographic films. Introducing them to drink. Giving them alcohol in the course of the scout meetings.”

Costin is also accused of introducing boys to cannabis, said Mr Hornsby, with this “grooming” pattern “culminating in taking advantage of them, their vulnerability”.

“Such was his influence over them that it took some time and a great deal of difficulty for any of them to come forward and make any allegations. In fact some of them expressed guilt,” said Mr Hornsby.

“He was, in a sense, a hero of theirs and they did not want to do anything that would harm him.”

Michael 'Mick' Costin has admitted molesting three boys at a scout group which held its meetings at St Augustine's Church in Rush Green in the 1980s (Image: Google Streetview)

Costin, wearing a sky blue polo shirt with white and dark-blue stripes, sat impassively as Mr Hornsby gave his speech.

In addition to the Romford and Kirton offences admitted last year, Mr Hornsby told jurors that Costin had been convicted at Ipswich Crown Court in 1996 of four counts of indecent assault against Kirton scouts.

“You will hear that the first of the complainants in our case was in fact spoken to as part of that investigation in 1996,” he said.

But at the time, he said, the complainant “was able to give information about what he had seen happening to other individuals, but was not able to describe or give evidence about what was happening to him.”

This, he alleged, was down to “a sense of shame and embarrassment”.

More complainants came forward after the Jimmy Savile revelations and the opening of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said Mr Hornsby.

“In a number of cases where the defendant has pleaded guilty to sexual activity, he has done so on a limited basis, i.e. accepted sexual assault but not always accepted the context, namely, that they were asleep or unconscious or intoxicated and therefore not aware that the defendant was in fact behaving in this way – or that he was responsible for providing alcohol or drugs for them,” the prosecutor said.

“It appears to be a theme for the defendant contesting these allegations that are before you – his refusal to accept that in any case he was involved in sexual activity with boys who were not awake and aware of what was happening.”

Costin’s defence barrister, Sarah Morris, did not make any opening remarks. The trial is expected to last between two and three weeks.

None of the Romford complainants are scheduled to give live evidence during the trial.