A British LGBT activist and anti-hate campaigner has been charged with 37 different offenses related to the sexual abuse of children. Stephen Ireland, 40, was arrested on August 14 along with one of the volunteers from his organization, David Sutton, 26, in Surrey, UK.
According to a press release by Surrey Police, Ireland and Sutton, both of whom worked at a local pride organization Pride in Surrey, have jointly been charged with 15 offenses, including:
- Six counts of conspiracy to sexually assault a child;
- One count of conspiracy to kidnap a child;
- Four counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence;
- One count of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent;
- One count of publishing an obscene article;
- One count of voyeurism;
- One count of perverting the course of justice.
But both Ireland and Sutton are facing additional charges individually on top of the 15 they have both been slapped with.
Ireland has been further charged with an additional 22 offenses of a serious nature, including the rape of a child, while Sutton has been accused of an additional 7.
In all cases, the victim or victims were under the age of 13, and the crimes are said to have occurred over a two year span from August of 2022 to just last month.
While Ireland and Sutton have been remanded to custody awaiting a hearing, Surrey Police is calling for anyone with more information on the crimes to come forward as the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone who may have information beneficial to the case is asked to contact Surrey Police quoting reference number PR/45240080974 via their online reporting toolor by calling 101. If an individual with information wishes not to speak directly with police, the option is available to contact independent charity Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.
Ironically, both Ireland and his organization have a long history of collaborating with Surrey Police at various events and in “anti-hate” campaigns.
In 2019, Ireland boasted of spending the day with Surrey Police in their “Pride” patrol car – a police vehicle decorated with rainbow decals. In a newly-resurfaced video, Ireland praised Surrey Police as “absolutely fantastic,” and advertised the Stop Hate campaign he was promoting.
Stop Hate is a UK charity based in Leeds and dedicated to “raising awareness and understanding of discrimination and hate crime, encouraging its reporting, and supporting the individuals and communities it affects.” Ireland appears to have been closely connected to the campaign, as he regularly referenced it on social media.
According to independent news outlet Reduxx, Ireland was also invited to speak at an LGBT History Month Seminar hosted by Surrey Police in 2021. As recently as 2024, Ireland’s organization, Pride in Surrey, also shortlisted Surrey Police for a Community Champion Award.
Ireland was also vocally opposed to “transphobia,” and frequently called out beloved children’s author JK Rowling for her stance on women’s sex-based rights.
In 2020, Ireland called for women critical of gender ideology to be banned from using what was then known as Twitter.
“Honestly shocked at some of the disgusting transphobic tweets I have read this evening,” Ireland wrote. “So upsetting that @Twitter continues to allow them! I am proud to be a Trans ally and will always stand with my trans siblings in solidarity against this vile anti-trans rhetoric.”
