Latest Offenders Holsworthy

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A depraved foster carer has been locked up for a campaign of sexual offences against teenage girls.

Paul Robertson, 64, from Holsworthy, filmed himself having sex with one girl, groped and kissed another and set up secret cameras to film a third girl naked.

The judge jailing him at Exeter Crown Court said: "You abused them horrendously and treated them however you wished for your own sexual gratification."

He was sent to prison for eight years and three months.

Judge Anna Richardson also highlighted safeguarding failings of the children and chances missed to stop the abuse earlier.

Two of the victims reported what Robertson was doing but they were not believed.

Prosecutor Mr Nigel Wraith said Robertson, of Coles Mill Avenue, and his wife became carers in 2009. In 2019, police searched his home and took away a number of devices for analysis. They discovered Robertson had used mini cameras in jewellery boxes to record children and also filmed himself sexually abusing them.

He also had images of extreme pornography, bestiality and one of him having oral sex with his dog.

Robertson had repeatedly sexually abused one of the girls when she was aged between 15 and 17. He filmed himself having sex with her.

He pleaded guilty to a total of 17 offences. They included sexual activity with child by person in position of trust, voyeurism, taking indecent photos of child, making indecent photos of a child, possession extreme pornographic images and three sexual assaults.

He denied three offences relating to kissing and groping another victim but was found guilty by a jury at a trial in December.

The victim told the court the abuse had caused her mental health problems. At the time she knew it was wrong and his behaviour 'would make my stomach clench'.

Ms Mary Aspinall-Miles, defending, said Robertson had been a law abiding citizen until committing the offences. He had made early pleas to most of the charges and was entitled by law to a 25 per cent discount in his sentence.

He was now in poor health and did not present the same high level of threat to girls as he once had.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements will mitigate the risk he poses and monitor his behaviour when he is released.

Judge Richardson said Robertson had taken advantage of children who were particularly vulnerable.

She said there was a sorry background of a lack of effective and coordinated safeguarding.

One victim had raised the alarm in 2012 but she had not been believed and it was not taken any further.

Another victim had flagged his behaviour in 2013 but, despite a council meeting, no further action had been taken.

Robertson was registered with a private care provider.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said after the case: “Mr Robertson was not, and never has been a Devon County Council foster carer. He was an independent foster carer registered and employed by an independent fostering agency.

“A safeguarding referral into allegations of misconduct by the individual was made to our safeguarding team in 2013, and we followed an investigatory process. Insufficient evidence at the time meant that no charges were brought, and it was the fostering agency's responsibility subsequent to that investigation to decide whether they would continue to employ him as a foster carer.”

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A MEMBER of an internet paedophile ring from North Tamerton filmed himself abusing the five-year-old daughter of a friend and then sent the picture to a fellow pervert.

Nicholas Stansfield had been exchanging messages with at least three other men for months before he carried out the assault on the sleeping girl, who remains unaware of what happened.

He was staying as a guest of her parents at the house in West Devon when he went into the little girls room and took the image which showed his genitals touching the girls mouth.

He also took a picture of the girl and her sister off the parents Facebook page and sent that to the other paedophile.

Police were able to trace the girls from the school uniforms they were wearing but the family were unaware of the sexual assault until Stansfield admitted it during interview.

The girls mother said she was devastated and the whole family have been torn apart by the revelation.

The images which he downloaded and distributed included 268 videos and photographs which came into the worst category, some showing the assault of young babies.

Stansfield, aged 25, of Victory Road, North Tamerton, near Holsworthy, admitted sexual assault, six counts of distribution or making indecent images, and possession of five knives and two air rifles.

He was jailed for two years and six months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court, put on the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which banned contact with children and restricts his use of the internet.

The judge told him: It is clear from the girls mothers statement how your sexual assault on a sleeping five-year-old girl has damaged the family and caused really significant upset and distress.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said Stansfields home was raided in September 2019 after the National Crime Agency discovered that images of very serious abuse had been sent from his IP address.

An examination of his phone and computer showed he shared fantasies or images with three other men in which he claimed to have abused a baby girl who he described as sexy and beautiful.

He had a total of 778 images of which 268 were in category A and 24 had been distributed with seven images of serious abuse being sent to himin return

A photograph of two young girls in school uniform were found among the images he sent and police traced the parents, who said he had stayed at their house for a time in 2018.

He later admitted going into the five-year-olds room as she slept and taking a picture of his penis touching her mouth. He also admitted piggy-backing on the familys Wi-Fi to download images while he was staying there.

Police found an arsenal of weapons in his car when they arrested him which included two air rifles, two hunting knives, a flick knife and two kitchen knives.

Mr Rupert Taylor, defending, said Stansfield had experienced a troubled and abusive childhood which led to developmental issues and left him lacking maturity.

He has moved on with his life since 2019 and now has a partner, a job at a shop, and is seeking treatment and counselling for his psychological problems.