Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Millwall investigating claims they ignored warning over scout convicted of importing child abuse images

Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Millwall are investigating claims from a former detective they ignored warnings over a scout found guilty of importing child abuse images.

Clive Driscoll says he contacted the London clubs in 2001 about John Butcher, who was convicted in 1993 for trying to bring pictures of child abuse into Gatwick Airport from Holland but continued to work in the game.

He was employed by Chelsea as a scout, although the club do not have definitive dates, while he is alleged to have been employed on a freelance basis for Crystal Palace and Millwall around this time too.

Butcher was also caught trying to buy a child-abuse video from America in 2003 and was put on the sex offenders’ register for seven years after being spotted looking at paedophile images in an internet cafe in 2009.

Driscoll told The Times: “I spoke to Millwall, Chelsea and Palace about John Butcher and warned them about him in 2001. I was a detective inspector at the time and I was phoning them from the police, but I might as well have been phoning from the moon. I was saying he had a conviction but they just treated it as a football matter.”

Chelsea are already looking into allegations that former chief scout Eddie Heath abused youth players in the Seventies, as well as how they handled the complaint of Gary Johnson, who was paid £50,000 in compensation last year on the proviso he signed a confidentiality agreement. There is no suggestion that Butcher abused any players but after the revelations it is understood Chelsea will investigate.

Yesterday, a report issued by the Shirley Oaks Survivors’ Association into historical sex abuse at children’s homes in south London said Butcher knew Heath.

A Chelsea statement said: “As a club, we take all allegations of historical sexual abuse seriously. We are absolutely determined to do the right thing, to fully support those affected, and support the investigations.”

In a statement Millwall said they had no record of Butcher being an employee or scout for the club but added: “We are investigating whether there may have been any informal links between Butcher and the club in a scouting capacity.

“We have, to date, categorically not received any allegation of historical sex abuse perpetrated by any Millwall employee, past or present, and have not been contacted by the police.”

The report by the Shirley Oaks Survivors’ Association said when Driscoll approached Palace the club were “dismissive and derisory”.

Palace said: "We take any allegations of abuse involving anyone connected with Crystal Palace Football Club extremely seriously and we will give every possible assistance to the police in their investigations. We urge anyone aware of any instances of abuse that have ever taken place at the club, or who has been a victim, to report it to the police or contact the FA’s NSPCC helpline on 0800 0232642.

"We have enormous sympathy for all victims of abuse and support those who have come forward with information. To the best of our knowledge, the football scout John Butcher, who is named in the report published by the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, was never employed by Crystal Palace, or had any formal role with the club, but we are investigating this fully, including the warning which Mr Driscoll says he passed on to the club in 2001.

"Any information we can provide about Butcher’s involvement here will be passed to the authorities".

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