Youth group leader Milton Richardson has been jailed for 18 months, with his organisation opting to dismantle after he was found guilty of sexually exploiting a young boy left in his care.

His victim, whose identity cannot be revealed, expressed outrage that the group defended Richardson, telling the court: “Bad, immature people should not be in charge of children, because they don’t think right.”

But the accused maintained he had been the victim of character assassination, adding: “I feel strongly that I was falsely accused.”

Supporters looked on in Magistrates’ Court as Richardson, 47, broke down in tears, saying he wished the group he’d founded would be able to continue.

He also said he might work with children in another jurisdiction if he ended up banned in Bermuda.

Richardson was convicted in March of four counts of sexually exploiting the youngster as a person in a position of trust — kissing him on the mouth, ear and neck, and pushing his tongue into the boy’s mouth.

He admitted to kissing the boy on January 5 and 19 of last year, telling his mother he had “crossed a line” but insisting he hadn’t been driven by sexual interest.

However, the boy, who was under 13, wrote in his victim impact statement: “What Milton did to me makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about it.”

Saying he had liked and respected Richardson, the victim continued: “I know what he did was wrong and I had to tell the truth about it.”

Writing that he had felt sick after hearing that the youth group had sided with Richardson, the victim added: “I know what happened and it was bad. I know how it made me feel, and my feelings are not a lie.

“Neither Milton nor his group seem remorseful for what happened.”

During the trial, the accused said the boy’s accounts had been fabricated under family pressure but magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo rejected Richardson’s story as “wholly discredited”.

Crown counsel Susan Mulligan told the court yesterday she couldn’t believe Richardson did not know that “that type of conduct was not acceptable”.

Ms Mulligan said Richardson had been grooming the boy, engaging in progressively more serious acts and getting him to believe he “was going to get special treatment if he didn’t tell his mother”.

On the first occasion, Richardson kissed the boy on the mouth while they were alone together at a secluded seaside spot.

The second incident took place in Richardson’s bedroom, where he was invited to come in and watch TV and was then kissed on the cheek, neck, ear, and then side and front of his mouth.

Giving evidence, the boy said he had had to close his teeth when Richardson began pushing his tongue into his mouth.

“I thought the first person to do what he did would be a girl, not a man,” his statement added.

Defence lawyer Auralee Cassidy said Richardson had given 28 years’ service to the community and considered the young man to be “like a son”.

“It was an error in judgment, rather than any intent to degrade, humiliate and mistreat a young person,” she said.

Three character references attested to Richardson’s devotion to helping children, as well as his “good moral character and tremendous faith in God”.

Addressing Mr Tokunbo, Richardson said: “The decision of the court to find me guilty weighs very heavily on my heart. I deeply apologise for the misinterpretation of my actions.”

Listing his numerous public awards, including receiving the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour for community service, he said: “I have lived my life to showcase my purpose for being on the planet, and that was to help children — to bring love and joy into their lives.”

Saying Bob Marley, Gandhi and Martin Luther King had their characters assassinated, Richardson added: “I feel the same thing has happened to me.”

However, Mr Tokunbo told the court: “That, to me, is not a genuine apology. It is equivocal and continues to demonstrate, on the part of the defendant, his lack of insight into his conduct.”

He continued: “There is no remorse on the part of the defendant, who is wholly to blame for the offence — and it is one that is being uncovered all too frequently in the community.”

Richardson was jailed for nine months for the first offence and 18 months for the three remaining counts in the second offence. The terms will be served concurrently, with time in custody taken into account.

He must serve two years’ probation upon release, register with police as a sex offender, and be assessed for a sex offender programme.

He was also forbidden to be in the unsupervised company of anyone below the age of 18.