Stephen Ireland was passionate about working with kids. The co-founder of Pride in Surrey volunteered at a school-based community radio station, promoted ‘inclusive’ education in schools and created a text helpline for teenagers grappling with their sexuality. At the time of his arrest last year, he was writing children’s books – titles included The Inclusaurs Trans Adventure and The Monsters in Me!.
On Monday, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old boy. Judge Patricia Lees, sentencing him at Guildford Crown Court, described Ireland as ‘highly alive to the vulnerabilities of young people linked to the Surrey Pride organisation he was at the time pivotal to’.
Guildford Crown Court heard that Ireland met the boy on dating app Grindr. He invited him to his flat in Addlestone, gave him crystal meth, showed him pornography and raped him. Ireland knew he was a child. After, in a Telegram chat with the boy, he described his young age as ‘naughty and kinky’ and told him to ‘keep it a secret’. He suggested a threesome, sending photos of himself and his then partner, David Sutton.
Sutton – another Pride in Surrey volunteer – was also convicted. His crimes included possession and distribution of indecent images of children, voyeurism and perverting the course of justice. In one instance, he had sex with a 16-year-old while Ireland watched via webcam and sent instructions. The teen had no idea he was being filmed. Sutton received four-and-a-half years in prison.
The depravity didn’t stop there. In court, prosecutors revealed that Ireland and Sutton discussed finding another 13-year-old boy for Sutton’s birthday. ‘You definitely supported one another in your perversions’, said the judge. ‘You fed off one another.’
These men weren’t isolated predators hiding in the shadows. Sutton held a patron position at the now defunct charity, Educate and Celebrate, an organisation that delivered trans-inclusive training to nurseries and schools. Ireland was a visible, celebrated figure within the community and worked closely with the police and local councils. He appeared numerous times on BBC Radio Surrey, including as a presenter. He joined the cops for ride-alongs in a rainbow-bedecked Pride-themed police car.
Charlie Watts, once part of Ireland and Sutton’s so-called polycule, now leads Pride in Surrey. Meanwhile, another of Ireland’s former partners, Sam Powell, has taken over as the organisation’s safeguarding lead. It seems to be business as usual at Pride in Surrey, with a march still scheduled for later this year.
Warnings about Ireland were sounded loud and clear – but they fell on deaf ears. As Jill Foster writes in the Telegraph, multiple safeguarding complaints were made to Surrey County Council, but they went unheeded. When volunteers with Pride in Surrey tried to complain to higher-ups in the organisation, they were told their fears were ‘discriminatory’. One whistleblower was barred from attending Pride parades and sent a cease-and-desist letter, ordering her not to discuss Pride in Surrey on her social media.
Their concerns were entirely reasonable. One woman recalled a shocking 2021 Pride in Surrey post celebrating International Fetish Day, where Ireland was seen holding a leash attached to someone in a dog mask (a whistleblower speaking to the Telegraph claims this was a 17-year-old girl). Another woman took her concerns to the council after children were exposed to ‘human pups’ at a Pride in Surrey parade. Though she was told to escalate the matter to the police, she doubted anything would come of it, knowing the police worked hand-in-hand with Ireland.
Despite these red flags, public money kept flowing. Since 2020, Pride in Surrey has received more than £140,000 from Surrey County Council – including £24,275 for the current financial year.
This isn’t just about the depraved crimes of two men. It’s also about the failure of institutions that chose virtue-signalling over vigilance. Ireland was protected by his proximity to progressive causes and by an institutional fear of appearing prejudiced.
Responsibility for the heinous acts committed against children lies with Ireland and Sutton alone. But the blindness of public officials and charity workers to so many complaints and red flags deserves urgent investigation. When legitimate safeguarding concerns are dismissed as bigotry, it’s not just the predators themselves who ought to be ashamed.
Jo Bartosch is a journalist campaigning for the rights of women and girls.
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