Cadet-unit band leader sexually abused boy, 14

A band leader with a military cadet unit exploited his position to sexually abuse a boy of 14, a court has heard.

Former soldier Philip Pryor groomed the boy with alcohol and cigarettes before sexually assaulting him – then told his young victim nobody would believe the boy if he reported what was going on because his abuser was a respected member of the community.

The victim kept his silence for years until he saw publicity about the abuse of young players in football, and decided to go to the police.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the complaint led to a police investigation – which also found 65-year-old Pryor had downloaded indecent images on a British Legion computer, and searched the internet for pictures of child abuse involving schoolboys.

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said Pryor was a band leader with the army cadet unit in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, at the time of the abuse.

The defendant was himself an accomplished musician, having played with a regimental band while in the army, and the cadet band attracted youngsters from across south-west Wales.

Pryor was arrested in January 2017 and denied the allegations – a stance he maintained until his day of trial.

Pryor, of Llys-y-Llyfrgell, Burry Port, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault on a male, and one count of possession of indecent images when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has no previous convictions. Frank Phillips, for Pryor, said the defendant’s guilty plea avoided the necessity of the victim giving evidence in court.

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Pryor to two and a half years in prison for each of the three indecent assault charges, and for the possession of the images to three months – all the sentences will run concurrently, making a sentence of two and a half years.

Pryor will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life, and is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.