Former British Airways Pilot Bartle Frere Convicted of Sex Offences Against Underage Boy

An ex-pilot for British Airways was found guilty of committing two sex offences against an underage boy in India.

The jury at Bournemouth Crown Court found him guilty of two charges of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. They also found Frere unanimously guilty of six charges of possessing indecent images of a chid, relating to DVDs of naked Ukranian boys found during a police search in the loft of his former home.

However, they were unable to reach verdicts on 13 other charges relating to two boys in India and two boys in the UK as well as four charges of making indecent images of photos of a child.

Judge Peter Johnson told the 50-year-old convicted man that prosecutors could to seek a retrial on the outstanding charges, which may take place next year.

Frere was released on conditional bail and will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Judge Johnson said: "You have been convicted in relation to a number of counts today.

"The Crown is likely to see a retrial in respect of the outstanding counts and I give them 14 days."

During his trial, Frere told the court he found boys "aesthetically pleasing" but denied being sexually attracted to them, describing himself as "asexual".

The bachelor told the court his interest in boys was "benevolent".

In his closing speech, David Fisher QC, defending Frere, said his client was "almost a character from a 1950s boys' book annual," according to the Bournemouth Echo.

He added: "He is the type of character who is almost a hero in the eyes of teenage boys.

"He is a pilot who travels the world and drives fast cars."

However, Elisabeth Bussey-Jones, prosecuting, said Frere's attempts to explain his behaviour had "beggared belief".

She told the jury: "With the most modest of eyes looking at his account, you may feel you have a picture of a man that is entirely different to the BA pilot the rest of the world sees.

"He entrenched and ensconced himself with being surrounded by young children he finds attractive.

"As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he has succumbed on countless occasions to his hidden desire.

"It is an overwhelming and sad picture of a man who is not who he says he is."

In evidence summed up by Judge Peter Johnson, Bournemouth Crown Court heard Frere allegedly had sex four or five times with a boy before he was 15.

Investigations revealed Frere regularly went on social networking sites to make contact with teenage boys in India.

Frere spent 25 years working as a pilot for British Airways before leaving in February of this year.