John Briggs, a former president at a Marine Society & Sea Cadets branch, has been found guilty of indecently assaulting young boys, including Sea Cadet members.

Briggs, who received an MBE for his fundraising activities for the Sea Cadets, was jailed for eight years.

The court heard two of the victims were boys he gave piano lessons to at his home and the others were members of Keighley Sea Cadets.

Briggs had denied sexually attacking boys, aged 10 to 15, between 1969 and 1993.

He told Bradford Crown Court that the victims had "made up the allegations in a vindictive campaign against him and there was not a shred of truth in them".

In mitigation, he said that he had been happily married for 25 years but had developed homosexual tendencies.

A Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) spokeswoman said:
“The safeguarding of young people is of paramount importance and the charity takes its duty of care very seriously.  MSSC has clear standards of behaviour for adults to protect children and we do not tolerate breaches of those standards. MSSC has well published and detailed policies and procedures which guide our safeguarding approach.

“MSSC confirms that John Briggs, was a volunteer at his local unit. MSSC was deeply concerned by these reports and provides full co-operation with any statutory agency investigating allegations of abuse.”

Briggs was a renowned concert pianist who had performed at venues across the world.