A FORMER Scout leader who systematically sexually abused a boy more than 40 years ago has been convicted of all charges.

Roger Franklin was yesterday unanimously found guilty by jurors at Oxford Crown Court of four counts of indecent assault.

His victim, who is now in his 50s and was abused between 1968 and 1970, had told jurors: “These memories are ingrained in my soul and they will be until the day I die.”

Franklin, of Ashdene Road, Bicester, seriously sexually assaulted the boy at a North Oxford bed and breakfast, regularly touched him in his car, watched him shower and assaulted him on a camping trip to the Lake District in 1969.

Franklin, 66, who was a Scout leader in west Oxfordshire, has seven previous convictions for indecently assaulting boys under 13 in 1964 and 1968.

His victim, who broke down and sobbed while giving evidence in the week-long trial, told jurors the abuse has haunted him throughout his life.

He told the court: “I think victims of sexual abuse do suffer all of their lives.

“I was actually too ashamed to discuss that situation with anybody. Many thousands of people who have been abused in one form or another remain silent, and I can understand why they remain silent.”

The victim, who reported the matter to police in February last year after receiving counselling, added: “I always felt that I was carrying that burden with me and I was never able to deal with it for many years. I wanted to talk to someone about it.”

He added: “It kind of felt like when I had talked about it the burden had been lifted because you do carry that burden with you for the whole of your life.

“It doesn’t affect you in a particular way, it can affect you any day, it can affect you if you go into a block of flats and smell a particular smell.

“I walked into a bed and breakfast recently and I couldn’t actually go into the dining room to eat breakfast – I just couldn’t do it.

“They are the kind of things that impact.”

Detailing the abuse, he told jurors: “He (Franklin) told me not to tell anyone and he would repeat ‘I have never touched you, I have never touched you’.

“He would say that if anybody did find out there would be trouble.”

He added: “I questioned myself as to whether I was normal. Did I allow that to happen as a child?

“I think if there’s anyone to blame I’ve always blamed myself. I let this situation happen and I didn’t deal with it at the time.”

Franklin was bailed to be sentenced on February 11.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat said: “A custodial sentence, on the face of it, is inevitable.”