A former Suffolk scout leader has confessed to sexually abusing children he was supposed to be looking after, a court has heard.
Michael John Costin, 58, is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court over allegations he plied boys who saw him as “a hero” with booze and drugs, then sexually assaulted them.
The eight charges he denies relate to seven boys he allegedly abused in the early 1990s after moving from Romford to Suffolk.
But jurors were told he has already admitted molesting and performing oral sex on boys in London and Suffolk – including three scouts in Havering in the 1980s.
He admitted his Romford crimes at Snaresbrook Crown Court in June 2023, but his pleas could not be reported in case it prejudiced his forthcoming trial.
Judge Alex Gordon has now allowed jurors at Snaresbrook to hear of last year’s guilty pleas, as the admitted offences allegedly show a pattern of criminal conduct.
Jurors were told Costin, nicknamed Mick, grew up in Romford and joined a scouts group attached to St Augustine’s Church in the town.
At 16, he became a “young leader” at that group, where he continued to help out until his early 20s, using that access to sexually abuse three boys aged between 12 and 16.
After qualifying as a teacher at the University of Exeter in 1987, Costin moved to Suffolk, where he lived in Walton and became a geography teacher at Felixstowe's Orwell High School.
He also joined the First Kirton Sea Scouts and again began preying on children.
Costin has admitted a string of offences against scouts in Kirton as well, jurors heard, but denies eight specific allegations, for which he is standing trial.
“For the most part, these allegations have been made independently of each other,” Walton Hornsby, prosecuting, said.
“It’s clear that all of these boys looked up to Michael Costin. He was a charismatic individual. He was sporty, friendly and exercised a certain influence over these boys.
“You will hear about grooming type behaviour. Introducing them to sexuality by showing them pornographic films. Introducing them to drink. Giving them alcohol in the course of the scout meetings.”
Costin is also accused of introducing boys to cannabis, said Mr Hornsby, with this “grooming” pattern “culminating in taking advantage of them, their vulnerability”.
“Such was his influence over them that it took some time and a great deal of difficulty for any of them to come forward and make any allegations. In fact some of them expressed guilt,” said Mr Hornsby.
“He was, in a sense, a hero of theirs and they did not want to do anything that would harm him.”
Costin, wearing a sky blue polo shirt with white and dark-blue stripes, sat impassively as Mr Hornsby gave his speech at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
In addition to the Romford and Kirton offences admitted last year, Mr Hornsby told jurors that Costin had been convicted at Ipswich Crown Court in 1996 of four counts of indecent assault against Kirton scouts.
More complainants came forward after the Jimmy Savile revelations and the opening of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, said Mr Hornsby.
He added: “It appears to be a theme for the defendant contesting these allegations that are before you – his refusal to accept that in any case he was involved in sexual activity with boys who were not awake and aware of what was happening.”
Costin’s defence barrister, Sarah Morris, did not make any opening remarks.
The trial is expected to last between two and three weeks.
None of the Romford complainants are scheduled to give live evidence during the trial.
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