Understand
Army cadets instructor goes on trial accused of sexual offences against children
Overview
An Army Cadets instructor and former Peterborough councillor, Rylan Ray, has gone on trial at Ipswich Crown Court facing 25 sexual offences involving 11 male complainants, many of whom were cadets. Prosecutors allege he posed as a teenage girl named Chelsea on Snapchat to encourage boys to send him nude photographs. Ray denies all charges, and the trial is expected to last four weeks.
Key points
- Rylan Ray, a 26-year-old former Army Cadets instructor and local councillor, is on trial at Ipswich Crown Court.
- He faces 25 sexual offences, including rape, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent images of children.
- The prosecution alleges Ray created a fake female persona on Snapchat named Chelsea to trick boys into sending explicit photos.
- Offences are alleged to have occurred over a six-year period and involve 11 male complainants, many connected to the cadets.
- An IP address linked to the Snapchat account was traced to Ray's home address, and inappropriate images of children were found on his devices.
- Ray denied being the Snapchat persona during police interviews and maintains his innocence regarding all charges.