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	9.50am - Brownie Abuse 'Hushed Up' by the Church This is Gloucestershire July 19, 2007 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command= displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=17874204 United Kingdom — A man's sexual abuse of a 10-year-old Brownie was 'hushed up' by the church for over 24 years, a court has been told. Victor Steynor, 64, who twice put his hand up the girl's top when her Brownie Pack visted the home he hired out for adventure weekends, was reported by the girl - but her parents and their church dealt with the matter 'in house' instead of calling police. It was only by chance when a former Deacon of Ledbury Baptist Church, in Herefordshire, finally spilled the beans to a teacher who had links to the family that the dark events of 1983 emerged, magistrates in Cheltenham were told. Steynor claimed he meant nothing sexual by the kitchen groping and he told the court 'Things were different then.' But a district judge disagreed and sentenced Steynor to three years of rehabilitation under the supervsion of the probation service. Prosecutor Sharon Jomaa told the Court the Brownie - now a 34 year old woman - was touched when she visited Steynor's Dyke House address, in Bromsberrow Heath, Glos, for a weekend adventure trip with her Brownie group on June 7, 1983. He earned a living from hiring out the address for both Brownie and Christian outdoor adventure holidays, and seized his chance to get the girl alone when she asked to borrow some equipment. Ms Jomaa said: "She reported it to her mother. The incident was dealt with in-house. There was a meeting with a church elder. It was dealt with and hushed up. "She said she was made to feel she was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. "The matter came to light in 2006. A teacher went to Dyke House to visit some friends. One was a former Deacon of Ledbury Baptist Church. He said there was an incident back in 1983 that had come to his attention. "The matter was also reported to Social Services at the time, but the family did not want to proceed. "Mr Steynor said that he wouldn't do it again now because times had changed and it was different then." Deputy District Judge Neil Pattinson said: "This was an assault on a 10 year old girl. It was sexual touching. If you had any previous convictions or if this had been a prolonged assault I would have been sending this matter to crown court for sentence. "You are a man of impeccable character and I've spend some time reading the character reference in which you are spoken of in the highest terms." Steynor will be on the sex offender's register for five years and was ordered to pay ?455 prosecution costs. Steynor was convicted of sexually assaulting the Brownie on a date between June 4 and 7 1983.
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