Richard Burrows even stole an innocent man’s identity during his near-three decades on the run after systematically abusing 24 young boys across Cheshire, West Midlands and other areas
A prolific sex offender who spent 27 years on the run has finally been caught – thanks to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Richard Burrows stole an innocent man’s identity when he vanished after systematically abusing 24 young boys. He even featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch which showed the digital updating of his photograph to highlight how he could look as an old man. No trace was found – until a simple piece of desktop research provided a breakthrough. Officers at Cheshire Police ran the manipulated mugshot through facial recognition program Pimeyes.
After searching through billions of photos online it unexpectedly came up with a match in the form of Peter Smith, a British expat living in Thailand. He had been living as a media salesman and mapmaker on the idyllic island of Phuket for nearly three decades, it emerged.
But he was extradited and, on Monday, the man admitted his real identity – and was found guilty of 54 offences, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child. He had already pleaded guilty to 43 offences, including indecent assault of boys, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent, at an earlier hearing at Chester Crown Court.
The predator managed to “hide in plain sight” for over two-and-a-half decades. However, at a farewell party held by prominent local expats before Burrows, now 80, flew back after running out of money to pay for his mounting medical needs, one guest recalls Burrows saying it was “time to face the music”.
Burrows was first “treated like a VIP” by fellow expats but later found himself living with a young Thai man in a dingy converted shipping container, a Daily Mail investigation reportedly found. The publication says it illustrates Burrows’ downfall, which eventually came about after Burrows used the name of a terminally ill acquaintance in order to evade justice.
In reality, he had abused 24 young boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas between 1968 and 1995, the majority through local Scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader. Some offences occurred between 1969 and 1971 while Burrows was working at a children’s home in Congleton, Cheshire.
In each case, he befriended the victims by using his position of trust over them and their personal interests, such as radio communications or boating. After gaining their trust, and in many cases the trust of their families, Burrows then went on to sexually abuse the boys.
While some of his victims attempted to speak out at the time, many simply did not feel that they would be believed. It was not until the 1990s, following revelations in relation to offences at other children’s homes and institutions, that many of the victims had the confidence to come forward.
Following the allegations in relation to the offences at Danesford Children’s Home, a large-scale investigation was launched by detectives from Cheshire Police in 1994.
Burrows was initially arrested in April 1997 and was subsequently charged in May 1997 with two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault in relation to the offences in Cheshire and some in the West Midlands.
After his initial appearance in magistrates’ courts, he was released on bail by the court and was due to attend a further hearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday 8 December 1997.
However, Burrows failed to attend and officers subsequently discovered that he had disappeared. Yet now, nearly three decades on, Burrows faces jail when he is sentenced at Chester Crown Court next month.