Barry Bennell, a former coach and scout for Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra, was convicted of 36 charges of sexual offences against youth footballers at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday. The jury has requested more time to consider further counts against Bennell, reports the Guardian's Daniel Taylor. The 64-year-old was found not guilty of three charges.
Bennell denied 48 offences but admitted seven charges involving three boys, after a total of 11 boys said he committed numerous sexual offences between 1979 and 1990. During his period he was regarded as one of the most talented operators within his field, developing renowned players for both Crewe and Manchester City. He was also employed at Stoke City, and worked with junior teams in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester.
Prosecutors at the trial said Bennell was a "predatory and determined paedophile" who molested young boys on an "industrial scale," according to BBC News. He had previously served three prison sentences in England and the United States, prompting him to be now known as Richard Jones.
The spotlight was put on the horrific treatment historically suffered by some youth players when Taylor interviewed Andy Woodward for the Guardian. Woodward detailed the calculated paedophilia of Bennell while he was on the books of Crewe, and his account encouraged swathes of retired footballers to come forward with their own accounts. One alleged victim is Matt Le Tissier, who claims he was subjected to "very, very wrong" treatment from Bob Higgins, a former youth development officer at Southampton.
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