A scout leader who was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl in the late 1990s has been jailed after an appeal was lodged over his sentence. 

David Oliver, 51, of Coombe Gardens in Bournemouth, avoided jail when he was sentenced in May this year to two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years.

At the time, the court heard how Oliver had kissed and sexually assaulted his young victim on a number of occasions in the late 1990s.

The girl, who was under the age of 16, was targeted in the grounds around the Scout camp and an office at the site.

On one occasion, she was assaulted in Oliver’s car on the way to a camp in the New Forest. He told the victim she was special and encouraged her to keep their relationship a secret in case they got into trouble. It was only years later the victim felt able to report the crime to the police.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, where Oliver’s sentence was increased to three years behind bars.

Following the hearing, the Solicitor General said: “This is a particularly sad case where the offender abused his position of trust - he had no thought for the lasting impact his actions will have on the victim.

“I welcome the decision of the Court, and hope the increased sentence sends a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated.”