Stephen Browne 66

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BOSSES of a Southampton charity for the disabled knew about the sex crime past of a volunteer minibus driver for four years before he raped a client, an inquiry has revealed.

Stephen Browne was given "routine" and "extensive unsupervised access" to vulnerable disabled clients, including giving help with personal care and letting one client spend the night at his house. He even went on to become the charity's vice-chairman.

The inquiry found that despite being told by the police in 2001 that Browne had an unspent previous conviction for indecent assault, the charity's secretary and chairman failed to take adequate steps to safeguard the charity and its clients.

Neither did it adequately keep an eye on Browne's conduct, a Charity Commission report said.

The other trustees of the Southampton and District Sports and Leisure Association for the Disabled (SADSALAD) were also criticised for failing to implement protective polices and measures, such as carrying out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks when they became available in 2002.

Browne went on to rape a severely disabled woman and indecently assault another in November 2005 and is now serving at least ten years after being jailed early last year.

He was also convicted at the same time for a string of rapes and sexual assaults carried out in the 1970s.

The six-month Charity Commission inquiry found that secretary Roger Steels shared the information from the police about Browne with chairman Debbie Richards, but she also kept it secret.

Mr Steels told the inquiry that he thought the information was confidential.

Browne, 50, formerly of Fernside Close, Millbrook, was then allowed to become a trustee of the charity and its vice-chairman.

A third trustee who became suspicious of Browne's conduct towards disabled clients in 2005 reported him to police but also failed to alert other trustees.

The Charity Commission launched an inquiry when contacted by social services in December 2005 about Browne's sordid past.

It suspended Browne along with the three trustees, who have now resigned their posts.

Browne was later disqualified. He declined to take part in the inquiry.

Mr Steels said that he accepted the inquiry findings but insisted that he and Mrs Richards had been "hoodwinked" by Browne into believing that he was a reformed character and deserved a second chance.

Browne was working for other charities at the time he joined SADSALAD in 2000, Mr Steels said, and was a "nice fellow" who become the most popular volunteer.

Mr Steels added that SADSALAD had carried out checks on Browne, albeit inadequate ones.

Mr Steels, who still works for SADSALAD as a volunteer, said: "I don't feel uncomfortable working for the charity. They asked me to continue. This was a salutatory lesson we have all learnt from."

He said that he regretted taking on Browne. "I can't express the contempt I feel towards him," he said.

Mrs Richards declined to comment.

The commission noted that since its inquiry SADSALAD had implemented new procedures to safeguard disabled clients and had strengthened existing policies.