Cadet leader admits sexual offences against boy

An Army Cadets leader and former councillor has admitted five sexual offences against a teenage boy, the BBC can now report.

Rylan Ray pleaded guilty to three offences at Ipswich Crown Court on 10 February, but Judge Leigh imposed a restriction preventing the media from reporting the admissions immediately.

The 26-year-old of Westgate, Peterborough, admitted a further two charges of making indecent photographs of the same boy on Wednesday.

He is currently on trial accused of further sexual offences, many involving children he met through his role with the Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force.

The reporting restriction has been lifted by Judge Wilson, who is overseeing the trial, following an application to the court by the BBC after the jury was told of Ray's earlier guilty pleas.

At a pre-trial hearing in February, Ray admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of causing a child to watch a sexual activity.

His teenage victim appeared in court on the first day of the trial on 7 October to give evidence relating to a separate allegation he was touched inappropriately by Ray.

Rhodri James, Ray's barrister, told the boy: "Mr Ray has accepted committing three criminal offences against you.

"He's pleaded guilty to firstly accepting that he caused you to expose your penis to him, secondly that he sent you videos of sex acts, and thirdly that he asked you for similar videos."

Claire Matthews, prosecuting, told the jury the teenager felt "he had little or no choice but to provide indecent images".

On Wednesday, Wilson ordered the jury to find Ray not guilty of one count of possession of prohibited images of children, because the prosecution had offered no evidence.

The judge also ordered the jury to find Ray not guilty of one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act, because there was not sufficient evidence.

The 23 charges Ray denies include one count of rape and three of sexual assault.

The allegations are said to have happened over a six-year period and involve 11 males.

Matthews previously described a "power imbalance" between the complainants and the defendant, who had contacted cadets on social media.

When speaking in court on Wednesday, Ray said any online communication between him and cadets had not been instigated by him.

As well as volunteering as a detachment commander for the Army Cadets, Ray was formerly a Peterborough City councillor and has worked at two schools in the area.

The trial continues.

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