Ex-BBC DJ convicted of 19 child sex offences

Former BBC Radio Norfolk presenter Michael Souter has been found guilty of 19 sexual offences against children.

16:49 18 October 2013

Former BBC Radio Norfolk presenter Michael Souter, who was first charged in November, has now been found guilty of 19 sexual offences against seven children aged between 11 and 16 at the time of offending.

Offences include indecent assault, buggery and possession of indecent images of children.

Head of the CPS Complex Casework Unit for the East of England Chris McCann said: "Michael Souter is the classic example of the predatory paedophile who devoted most of his adult life to grooming and abusing young boys while maintaining a façade of the utmost respectability.

"Mr Souter presented himself to people as a local celebrity from radio and television, happy to be involved in charity events, the Scout movement and as a youth mentor for Norfolk Social Services."

He added: "All this was a smokescreen to hide his true intention: to become close to young boys so he could sexually abuse them, confident that his celebrity status would mean they would not be believed.

"This is the tactic of the classic predatory paedophile who hides behind a façade of respectability to carefully select and groom his victims then subject them to repeated sexual assaults over a period of time."