Young girl who pervert tried to groom was a paedophile hunter


Young girl who pervert tried to groom was a paedophile hunter

A Derbyshire man who tried to entice a 14-year-old girl to his home was actually communicating online with paedophile hunters.
Derby Crown Court heard how Simon Robinson told the “girl” to come to Derby where he would have a taxi waiting to bring her to his Ashbourne home.
But the teen he had been having “sexualised” online chats with was really a vigilante who handed over the 28-year-old’s details to the police.
Officer raided his home and seized equipment which was found to have sick child abuse images on it, including some of the most serious variety.
But Robinson has been spared an immediate prison term following a 45-page psychological assessment that concluded custody would not help his rehabilitation.

A police spokesman said: “We were called by paedophile hunters to reports they had been communicating with a man who had engaged in sexualised online chat with one of them who he believed was a 14-year-old girl.

“He tried to entice the girl to his home address and arrangements were made for the said ‘girl’ to catch a bus and a train to Derby where he told her he would have a taxi waiting for her to take him to his address.

“The information led us to open an investigation into Mr Robinson and a warrant was carried out at his home on October 4, 2017.
“He was arrested on that day and electronic equipment was seized.

“It was analysed and we discovered indecent images of children of all three categories – A, B and C.”

Robinson, of The Firs, pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate with a person aged under 16 through grooming.
He also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Judge Robert Egbuna sentenced him to two years in jail, suspended for two years.

He also handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Judge Egbuna also ordered him to take part in a 90-day sex offender programme and handed him 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days with the probation service.
He said: “I have absolutely no doubt that when you were communicating with the person you thought was a child aged 14 to 15 you knew exactly what you were doing.
“This is a serious offence, it was communicating with someone under the age of 16 by attempting to groom her.

“I have read a 45-page psychological report which goes into significant details of your history.

“It concludes that sending you to prison, which you richly deserve, will have a detrimental effect on your mental health.
“More importantly, it will have a serious effect on the long term rehabilitation that will protect the public.”