The former head of an LGBT organization in England was charged with child sexual abuse

Stephen Ireland, the former director of the organization LGBT Pride in Surrey, and David Sutton, a former volunteer there, have been charged with a range of serious offenses relating to child abuse. Ireland, 40, faces 37 charges including rape of a girl under 13, taking indecent photographs of minors and inducing sexual activity. Sutton, 26, also faces charges of taking indecent photographs and distributing pornography, among others.

The charges against Ireland and Sutton were filed at Staines Magistrates' Court in southeast England, and both are due to appear at Guildford Crown Court on Sept. 12. The investigation revealed that the offenses occurred over two years, from August 2022 until last month. Both individuals were arrested on Wednesday and are currently in custody.

Previous controversies

Ireland had been linked on his social media to Educate and Celebrate, an LGBT+ charity known for encouraging children to question the concept of gender. This organization, led by Dr. Elly Cannon, has previously been embroiled in several controversies for a variety of reasons. Specifically, Jordan Gray, a transgender woman and patron of the organization, appeared in a live television sketch that caused over 1,000 complaints for nudity and vulgarity. There was also controversy surrounding Dr. Elly Barnes' practices on the use of inclusive language in schools.

Educate and Celebrate mysteriously closed in early 2024 after facing various controversies. However, the chair of the organization's board of trustees, Julie Bremner, stated in January that they would continue their "much-needed work through new projects," unrelated directly to the charges Ireland faces.

Reactions and actions by the organization

Pride in Surrey, the charity of which Ireland was a director, stated that it suspended Ireland and Sutton as soon as it learned of the police investigation in June. The organization said it did not know the specific details of the charges until they were made public via social media. A spokesperson for the group told Surrey Live: "We are appalled and horrified at the charges which have been brought against the two individuals. We will fully cooperate with Surrey Police in any way they require. Our thoughts are with the alleged victims and their families."