Youth leader Milton Richardson has been convicted of kissing a boy under the age of 13.

Richardson, 56, from Devonshire, was found guilty yesterday of four counts of touching the boy for a sexual purpose while in a position of trust, kissing him on the mouth, ear and neck.

He had repeatedly denied the offences during his trial, telling the court that he had only kissed the child on the cheek as a sign of affection, but Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said the defendant’s version of events had been wholly discredited.

The court has heard that on January 5, 2013 the boy went on a walk with the defendant and, during a conversation, Richardson leaned in and kissed the boy on the mouth, saying: “I love you so much.”

Days later, on January 19, the boy was watching TV on a bed with Richardson when the accused kissed him on the cheek, neck, ear, and then side and front of his mouth, during which the accused inserted his tongue into his mouth.

The victim told the court he was “shocked” by the incident and later told family members.

The next day, the victim’s mother and a male companion confronted Richardson with the accusations, covertly recording the conversation.

On the recording played to the court, the defendant could be heard admitting to kissing the boy “on the side of his face and on his mouth” — but defending it as a gesture of affection.

However he was also heard to say: “I apologise — I crossed a line.”

The next day he sent the mother a Facebook message in which he admitted “hurting a boy’s feelings” and “a mother’s heart”.

Taking the stand in his own defence, Richardson said he felt shocked and betrayed by the accusations, saying: “They’re filthy and disgusting. You can imagine all these years I’ve known this family and tried to help this family, just like any other family in this community. So I felt shocked.”

He told the court he had been “skylarking” with the boy, tickling him and making a roaring sound pretending to be a lion, but said he only ever kissed the boy on the cheek and forehead as a sign of affection.

Asked why he felt the victim would lie about the incident, Richardson said the boy may be acting on his mother’s instructions, trying to escape a problematic home situation or trying to get more time with his father.

However, delivering his judgement yesterday, Mr Tokunbo rejected all three suggestions.

“I reject all assertions that the young boy was lying to get more time with his father, or that his mother put him up to it.

“I reject the suggestion that the boy lied to get help from a difficult home situation,” Mr Tokunbo said. “I firmly reject the submission that (the victim’s mother) had reasons to conjure up allegations against him, and that she’s the reason (the victim) is lying on him.”

The magistrate said he found the victim to be an honest, credible witness who despite his young age provided a consistent account of events under cross examination.

“He was an innocent child who told the simple truth. He had no reason to lie on the defendant, who he liked and trusted,” Mr Tokunbo said.

“My assessment of the defendant is he was not a credible witness.

“He was not honest when he testified about what transpired between him and (the victim) on the 5th and 19th of January when they were alone.

“In my judgement he was wholly discredited during the examination in chief and in cross examination, and the evidence of the verbal exchange in the confrontation with the boy’s mother, together with Facebook communication, were highly incriminating.”

He noted that while the victim told the court he was shocked and disgusted by the allegations, the recording did not display any such emotion.

And he described the Facebook message, sent to the mother the following day, as an “admission of guilt”.

Finding Richardson guilty on all four counts, Mr Tokunbo remanded the defendant into custody and ordered both a social inquiry report and a psychological report be carried out. He is scheduled to return to court next month for sentencing.