Scout leader predator
Harrowing victim statements tell of heinous behaviour
A DISGRACED Belmont Scout leader has been found guilty of grooming kids in his care with pornographic images, by exposing himself and touching them indecently, a court has heard.
Neville Raymond Budge, 56 was found guilty of 20 charges of an indecent act with a child under 16 by a Geelong County Court jury after eight victims came forward.
Yesterday Budge pleaded guilty to four more charges.
The trial, which happened earlier in the month, could not be published by the Geelong Advertiser for legal reasons.
During the proceedings, the court heard Budge joined the scouting movement in 1986 and became Scout leader at 1st Belmont Scouts in May 1994 where he was known “Nifty”.
Crown prosecutor Sally Flynn detailed numerous incidents with victims aged between 10 and 15 between 1995 and 2002, when he was relieved of his duties.
It was heard Budge moved to Tasmania in 2003.
Ms Flynn said victims were asked questions about puberty, were watched by Budge in the showers and inappropriately touched while at Budge’s home.
In one incident Ms Flynn told the court, he “instructed the complainant to remove his shorts” and then remarked on the victim’s genitalia.
The court heard he paid one scout, aged 14, “a bottle of sunscreen and $5” to watch him perform a sex act.
In another instance, Ms Flynn said Budge and one of the boys were lying in the grass at the home where he lived with his wife and children.
“The accused grabbed the waist band of the boy’s pants, pulled it and looked at his genitalia,” she said.
Harrowing victim impact statements were yesterday read by the prosecutor and revealed many of the children, now aged in their late 20s and early 30s, had distrust towards adults, authority figures and have since had failed romantic relationships.
One victim said he lost more than $100,000 after turning to gambling as an outlet to distract himself from the memories.
“I’ve spent many years with hatred deep inside me,” his statement read.
“The nightmares began almost immediately following the sexual abuse and I’ve suffered from them weekly on and off over the last 17 years.”
The same victim also admitted to contemplating and attempting suicide before he was 18. “I turned to alcohol, as being drunk relieved the anxi- ety, I turned to marijuana, as being high relieved the depression,” he said.
Ms Flynn said one of the witness statements indicated these incidents not only made victims of the families involved, but also of the Scouts movement, and by extension the community.
“He used his position as a scout leader to groom his victims. This is a most egregious breach of trust by someone expected to teach and nurture these young boys and he did anything but that,” she said.
Budge will appear before the Melbourne County Court on August 3 for sentencing.