Royal butler jailed for child abuse

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Described by police as a "brilliant groomer", Paul Kidd, 55, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, even took one of his victims for tea with the Queen Mother.

Kidd started grooming one of the boys when he was aged 12 as he met him as a patient on a hospital ward where he worked as a trainee nurse. Another was 14 years old when he first spoke to Kidd on the CB radio airwave, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

The defendant was senior footman to the Queen Mother from 1979 to 1984 and previously worked as a royal butler to The Queen from 1977.

The former candidate for the UK Independence Party was caught after one of his three abuse victims read a newspaper interview which he gave on the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

His boasts about his royal connections, coming from a man who also had his own website, www.royalbutler.co.uk, led the complainant to contact police. The victim, now aged in his 40s, reported he had been indecently assaulted by Kidd at the butler's home in the early 1980s when he was as young as 13.

An investigation was launched and evidence of further abuse was uncovered during a search of his home in Castlehall View. Among items found on his computer were 18,019 images of unknown children and a video recording of him abusing another youngster as recently as 2006. Many of the images recovered were encrypted in computer files with the password "Pickles" - thought to be a reference to a royal corgi.

His third victim, who was treated to the royal tea party, came forward after reading publicity on the case when Kidd was charged by police.

Kidd pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault, six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He also admitted 11 counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of possessing indecent images of children.

The offences were committed between 1974 and 1977, 1981 and 1983 - when he was in the employ of the Queen Mother - and 2005 to 2008.