Locations
Louis Street, Kingston Upon Hull, Hull, City Of Kingston Upon Hull, HU3
Description
A serial sex offender with a "chronic and deep-seated sexual interest in children" has been jailed again after failing to learn from three prior prison sentences.
Robert Johnson, 38, of Louis Street, off Spring Bank, Hull, but recently in custody, was found with indecent images of children as young as five and breached court orders aimed at curbing his "engrained" behavior, Hull Crown Court heard.
Johnson admitted three breaches of sex offender requirements, one breach of a sexual harm prevention order, three counts of making indecent images of children, and possessing prohibited images of children.
Prosecutor Maya Hanson said a sexual harm prevention order was imposed on January 19, 2018, with a probation officer managing Johnson. On August 27, his phone check revealed two unregistered email addresses and deleted browsing history, including 937 searches. "The defendant had deleted some of his internet search history," said Miss Hanson.
An indecent image of a 13-year-old girl was found, leading to police involvement. Seized devices contained images of girls aged five, seven, and nine: 16 in Category A, 11 in Category B, 36 in Category C, and 39 prohibited "cartoons." He also failed to register his address within three days of release.
Johnson had prior sexual offense convictions in 2014, 2017, and 2021, with sentences of three years and 18 months. On February 16, 2024, he was jailed for 20 months for breaching registration on June 5, 2023, plus possessing and making indecent child images and extreme animal images on October 22, 2022.
Mitigating, Hannah Turner said Johnson pleaded guilty with no attempts to contact real children. "There is very little that can be said by way of mitigation," said Miss Turner. "He fully accepts the offences and he has throughout the court procedures. He has – and, I imagine, he will continue to – held his hands up to this offending." He was an "avid gamer" hoping to retain his Xbox and consoles.
Judge Mark Bury told Johnson: "It's clear to me that you have a chronic and deep-seated sexual interest in children, albeit that you have not committed contact offences and there is no evidence that you are likely to in the future." This was his fifth sentencing for child image offenses.
"It's clear that you had browsed sites that you should not have been browsing," said Judge Bury. Viewing such images for a "sexual thrill" furthers child abuse. "You have a deeply engrained sexual interest in children. The time has come where a longer sentence of imprisonment is appropriate."
Johnson was jailed for three years and eight months, with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and indefinite sex offender registration.
In the February 2024 hearing, police found indecent child images on his phone at a bail hostel. He reported homelessness but missed a registration meeting, became argumentative on a call, ignored a text, and was arrested. A second phone had 512 images, some Category A involving children as young as three, including videos.