Stephen Ireland, a 41-year-old co-founder of the Surrey Pride LGBTQ+ organization in England, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for multiple child sexual offenses, including the rape of an "extremely vulnerable" 12-year-old boy. The offenses occurred in 2024 after Ireland met the victim on the dating app Grindr. Ireland was convicted on three counts of forcing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault of a child under 13, and six counts of making indecent images of children. His partner, David Sutton, 27, was also sentenced to four and a half years in prison for making indecent photographs and possessing extreme pornographic images. Reports indicate that earlier complaints about Ireland's abuse of power were ignored. Ireland had been involved in promoting LGBT awareness in schools and had used his position within the Pride organization. The case has drawn attention to how allegations against him were previously dismissed. The court highlighted the vulnerability of the victim, who was subjected to sexual abuse in Ireland's shared flat, where drugs and pornography were also present.