A paedophile who spent nearly three decades on the run in Thailand faces dying in jail after he was convicted of a string of historical sex attacks.

Richard Burrows, a former scout leader and children's home boss, used his position of power to target 26 vulnerable boys as young as 10 between the 1968 and the 1995. He became one of the UK's most wanted fugitives when he fled the country on the eve of his trial in 1997 and took on the bogus new identity of Peter Smith that he stole from a dying man. Burrows, 80, was finally arrested at Heathrow Airport in March last year after he was forced to return from Thailand having run out of money.

He had admitted 43 offences and denied 54 others, which jurors convicted him of at Chester Crown Court on Monday. Speaking outside court Det Insp Eleanor Atkinson, who had led the investigation, said: "He systematically abused his victims, specifically targeting vulnerable boys in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

Burrows stole the identity of a dying man to hide in Thailand (

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“Following his initial charges in 1997, Burrows knew he was guilty but rather than face the consequences of his actions, he acted like a coward and fled the country using a stolen identity taken from an unwell man. In emails that we have found since his arrest, Burrows described how he has spent the past three decades ‘living in paradise’, while his victims have all been left to suffer as they struggled to try and rebuild their lives.

“Thankfully, following our determination, he has finally been held accountable for his actions and is now behind bars where he belongs. It was clear throughout his trial that he did not feel remorse and had not thought at any point while living abroad about the impact his abuse had on his young victims.

Burrows is led by police in handcuffs following his arrest (

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“While his victims will never be able to forget what happened to them, I hope that the fact that Burrows has now been held accountable will finally provide them with some closure. Sadly, four of his victims have now passed away and so did not get to see justice served. I also hope that this case acts as a warning to any other wanted suspects – demonstrating that no matter how long you hide, we will find you and you will be held accountable.”

Burrows fled to Thailand under the name of Peter Leslie Smith, having cloned an acquaintance's identity and used it to obtain a passport. "Peter" had an active interest in sailing and had previously been working at an advertising company on the Thai island of Phuket. The brazen paedophile had even featured in the local news in 2019 when he retired from his job. He worked as a housemaster at a children's home in Cheshire in the 1960s and later worked with scouts and amateur radio clubs in the Midlands.

Burrows posing as "Peter" in Thailand (

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He used his positions of trust and responsibility "to satisfy himself sexually" by abusing boys aged between 10 and 15. Burrows had pleaded guilty to 54 offences which involved sexual touching of boys. He denied 47 charges of indecent assault on a child, four charges of buggery, two of attempted buggery and two of indecency with a child.

Prosecutor Mark Connor KC told the jury how Burrows fled the UK after he was arrested at his home in Birmingham in 1997. Mr Connor said: "He had in fact fled to Thailand under the name of Peter Leslie Smith, having cloned an acquaintance's identity and obtained a passport with that false identity.

"He was arrested when he attempted to re-enter the UK on 28th March 2024 on the eve of his 80th birthday, having enjoyed 27 years in 'paradise', to quote his description of where he had spent his time on the run."

Burrows is arrested in a wheelchair after landing at Heathrow (

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The prosecution told the court that Burrows 'systematically abused male children under his care'. The boys were "vulnerable", having previously been in trouble or had problems at home. Burrows used his attic room at his home in Sutton Coldfield where he kept his radio equipment to commit some of the sex attacks to which he has pleaded guilty, the court heard.

The trial heard that one victim from the attic was aged 12 or 13 when he was attacked sometime between 1966 and 1968. He contacted police after seeing an appeal on the BBC Crimewatch programme in 2011. Another victim was a 12-year-old paper boy with an interest in radios when Burrows invited him back to his home and then assaulted him in the attic.

Burrows, of HMP Altcourse, had already pleaded guilty to another 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. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on April 7 for the 97 offences.