A LEADING scout official has gone on trial accused of subjecting three young boys to 'systematic sex abuse' over a period of around four years.

Two of them are said to have been raped, one of the boys just about every week.

But when interviewed following his arrest Kevin Pilling denied ever carrying out any indecent acts, Preston Crown Court has been told.

Pilling, 44, whose address cannot be given for legal reasons, denies nine charges of rape and six of indecent assault. The case covers a period between August 1996 and September last year.

At the start of the trial, Mr Tim White, prosecuting, alleged that the defendant committed sex offences when deputy district commissioner of the scout movement in Lancaster and the three boys were scouts in the area.

"The prosecution case is that he selected three young boys who were the subject of systematic sexual abuse.

"It is unfortunately the Crown's case that one of the boys was allegedly the victim of habitual abuse by the defendant, with him being raped just about every week from 1998 through to 1999."

Initially Pilling is alleged to have massaged the boy's buttocks in an indecent manner.

He identified him as being a potential victim for sexual advances and was nurturing him by showing him favouritism, claimed Mr White.

He said he would take him to and from scout meetings, but it was no act of generosity, it was claimed.

The boy did not complain after the massaging and it is suggested Pilling took this as a sign to take his advances further.

In the summer of 1998 at a summer camp in Northumberland Pilling is alleged to have assaulted the boy who was sleeping in a tent.

Mr White claimed: "After that the defendant increased his activities in a manner that involved almost weekly rape."

It is claimed that he would rape the 14 year old, taking him to his home following scout meetings and had even raped him in the back seat of a vehicle.

As the abuse persisted the boy was ashamed of himself and would pretend to be ill on the date of scout meetings.

The allegations emerged in February of this year. Another boy is alleged to have been assaulted at an initiation ceremony when aged 11.

Later at a scout camp in Marlow, Buckinghamshire it is claimed Pilling assauted him: "Just about every night for a week."

The third boy had been sleeping in a tent when the defendant is alleged to have molested him.

The prosecution say the boys had not known each other and had not had the opportunity to put their heads together and concoct a story.

In February this year Pilling was arrested. He was interviewed by police on three separate occasions, but denied throughout that he had ever committed any indecent act towards the boys, or anyone.

-- Proceeding