Paedophile had been jailed before for attacks in Spalding

Former Spalding policeman Bates,who was on Friday jailed for historic sex offences (see report here), was caged for four years at Nottingham Crown Court in 1983.

On that occasion Bates was found guilty on 15 charges of indecently assaulting 11 young boys.

Bates, then 35 and living in Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, had denied 11 offences of indecent assault and four of a more serious nature.

During the 13-day trial, reported at the time in the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, the former Spalding Parish Church choir member was described as a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character – a pillar of society but one who preyed on young boys in his care.

Each of the 11 boys took to the witness box and told how Bates had abused them at his flat, on scouting trips or on holidays, dating back to 1975.

A choirboy told how he had met Bates when the police officer lived at Gore Lane, Spalding and joined the St Mary and St Nicolas Church Choir.

Most Friday nights, for a year, the 15-year-old and Bates had sex after choir practice.

Several of the boys told how they were shown pornog-
raphic magazines, films and playing cards.

On one occasion Bates drove his police car to the home of an 11-year-old and assaulted him while wearing his police uniform.

But Bates was found out after the father of one of the boys heard rumours that the scoutmaster had indecently assaulted some of his charges.

The man and another parent confronted Bates, who denied the assaults. Later, however, he admitted to two senior colleagues that he had fallen in love with one of the boy scouts.

The officers told the court he had admitted indecently assaulting three of the boys but denied more serious offences.

He later changed his story and said the police and the 11 boys were plotting against him. He said some of the boys wanted revenge after Bates had discoverede a girl in their tent while at a camp in Surfleet.

In the witness Box, Bates accused police of conspiring against him and said: “I wish I knew why this was happening to me. I have tried to think of the reasons for the past 13 months.”

• Edward Bates was officially dismissed from Lincolnshire Police during a disciplinary hearing at the end of his 1983 trial.

Chief Constable James Kerr heard the evidence against Bates.

Judge Mr Justice Park told Bates: “It is plain that since 1975 you have been a menace to all boy scouts between the ages of 11 and 15, right up to 1982 when at long last your activities were brought to light.

“You introduced these boys, either willingly or unwillingly, to the most disgusting sexual practices.

“You made it necessary for 11 boys to recount all the disgusting things you did to them.”