A former royal butler who admitted sexually abusing young boys took one of his victims for tea with the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, according to sources.
***Article first published by 'The Telegraph' on Oct. 2, 2008***
Paul Kidd introduced the youngster to the royal as a "friend" during a Christmas party at Clarence House - but in reality he had been assaulting the boy since the age of 14.
Kidd, 55, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, was senior footman to Queen Elizabeth from 1979 to 1984 and previously worked as a royal butler to the Queen from 1977.
He pleaded guilty to a string of historic sexual offences, a number of which were committed when he was a royal servant.
Sources said he charmed his victims with his stories of high living and was a "brilliant groomer".
It is understood there may be many more victims of Kidd who have yet to come forward and that the butler could have been part of an organised paedophile ring.
Kidd introduced one of his victims to a friend, David Hobday, 56, of Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, who also pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences.
The former candidate for the UK Independence Party was caught after one of his three abuse victims read a newspaper article 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 has his own website, http://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.
The source said: "Kidd went down to Clarence House one Christmas for a tea party with the Queen Mother.
"He introduced the boy as a friend and he spoke to the Queen Mother.
"This is the type of thing Kidd would do to impress his victims. He was a brilliant groomer who came across as a charming individual.
"He met one of his victims randomly on CB radio and another while he worked as a trainee nurse."
Kidd changed his pleas today ahead of a scheduled four-week trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Kidd also admitted 11 counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of possessing indecent images of children. In both cases the images were classed between Levels 1 and 5 - the latter being the most serious end of the scale.
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.
He pleaded not guilty to two counts of making indecent images which were accepted by the Crown and ordered to lie on file.
Charges of rape against Kidd, who had no previous convictions or cautions, were dropped.
Hobday, of St John Street, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child, namely a video recording.
Both men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 20.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told them: "Given you have both pleaded guilty to some serious offences, you should be under no illusion that the sentence is going to be custody."