Have you ever wondered how child abusers at sports clubs and in other 'regulated activities' seem to get away with their criminal activities for so long?

This case shows how a known suspect, Michael 'Kit' Carson, later charged with twelve child sexual abuse offences over a 31-year period, was knowingly protected by the FA via the quashing of three proposed investigations into a children's Football club [Histon FC Academy, in Cambridge] which Carson founded in 2006, and was run by Carson and his close associates until 2012.

My son attended one of Carson's clubs and I have repeatedly raised the alarm and called for investigations into Mr Carson. 

I have now been forced to seek a Judicial Review of the Met Police's latest refusal to investigate my allegations against the senior public figures who, between 2013 and 2015, allowed themselves to be led astray by senior figures at the FA such that investigations were quashed which would have uncovered at the very least what the FA already knew about Kit Carson. 

If you believe that child abuse in football should be thoroughly investigated and that lessons should be learnt from this horrendous pattern of abuse  - please support this case by contributing now, sharing this page with your friends and family and on social media.

Case Background

Between 2013 and 2015, three senior figures at public bodies, The Child Protection in Sport Unit, The Office of the Children's Commissioner for England and my MP, having ascertained that there were strong grounds, first asked the FA to allow an investigation into this Kit Carson club 

There were then private discussions held with the FA and / or its intermediaries, and they all dropped their respective requests for an investigation without good cause. 

It transpired following Carson's arrest in January 2017, that Carson was a close longstanding associate of several figures at the FA past and present, including Dan Ashworth with whom Carson had been close since the 1980s. From 2012 until October 2018 when he abruptly resigned from the FA, Ashworth had been its Director of Elite Player Performance.

Carson was due to stand trial in January 2019 but on the first morning he died in a collision between his car and a tree. The inquest is due on 18th June 2019, but his alleged victims cannot now get justice.

Carson's main UK clubs were Norwich City, Peterborough Utd, Cambridge Utd and Histon FC. In 2009, Carson was barred by the FA and moved his operation offshore, working with children in Finland and Denmark especially. Children from his UK clubs and those run by his associates were sent to these locations where Carson was active, claiming on his website to be the UK and Ireland Representative for tournaments in these countries.  

But this is bigger than just Carson

The earliest alleged offence against Carson was in 1978, and the latest 2009. Over this period, and later, Carson had gathered a wide network in English and overseas youth football, including the convicted child sex abusers Barry Bennell and Bob Higgins. Many of Carson's close associates are still working with children today, some of them have allegations against them for either grooming or abuse.

Children who play football are at particular risk from these types of perpetrator because Football operates as a ''Family'' and children and parents may be intimidated about complaining against a coach for fear of being victimised.

My experience as a parent who tried to blow the whistle in this area has been that the FA and Football, in general, will use any tactic at their disposal in order to protect abusers who they regard as ''their own''.

Public servants, and charity workers, at senior level, when they are alerted to such problems, also seem reluctant to ensure that they are investigated and allow themselves to be led astray in secret meetings. This is clearly wrongdoing and the Met. Police ought to investigate it, since the suppression of investigations into child abuse is the opposite of their remit to protect the public from abusers.

Despite having clear evidence that the above took place, the Met. Police Commissioner's Office has refused to investigate, citing a variety of reasons which are either false or irrelevant, such as that the football club was based in Cambridge, when the alleged offences all took place in London.

How much am I raising and why? 

I have already invested considerable funds and time into pursuing this investigation. I now need support to carry on. Initially I am raising £4k to cover the initial proceedings but will then go on to raise a further funds to cover a full judicial review if required. 

I hope a thorough investigation would lead to a broader police investigation of the ''Football Family'' of Kit Carson, many of whom have child abuse allegations against them already.