GERRARD ROBERTS FROM PETERSFIELD JAILED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENSES IN LONDON AND ESSEX

In a case that has shocked the local community and beyond, Gerrard Roberts, a 50-year-old man from Steep Marsh, Petersfield, Hampshire, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of disturbing sexual offenses involving a 14-year-old girl. The crimes took place over several months and involved sophisticated online grooming tactics, culminating in physical meetings and sexual activity.

Roberts, who previously worked as a chicken farm worker and was dismissed from the Royal Air Force following an arson incident in 1980, used social media platforms, notably Netlog, to target vulnerable young girls. Between May and September of the previous year, he engaged in a calculated campaign of grooming, building an online relationship with the 14-year-old victim through manipulative and sexually charged conversations. His goal was clear: to lure her into meeting him for sexual purposes.

According to the prosecution, led by Usha Shergill, Roberts employed highly manipulative tactics to gain the girl’s trust. Initially, his messages were engaging and complimentary, but they quickly escalated into explicit and sexualized chats. Roberts expressed a desire to engage in sexual activity, and his persistent messaging was part of a broader pattern of 'sustained predatory sexual offending,' as described by Judge Stephen Robbins.

What made the case particularly disturbing was that Roberts was simultaneously grooming an undercover investigator posing as a 13-year-old girl. The police revealed that Roberts believed he was communicating with a minor of that age, employing manipulative language and tactics to persuade her to meet him. His intentions became evident when he arranged to meet the girl at Twickenham railway station in southwest London. However, law enforcement officers arrested him upon his arrival on September 24.

During his arrest, Roberts claimed to officers, “I’m only looking around. I’ve never done this before. I only wanted to meet her.” Police subsequently searched his computer and mobile phone, uncovering semi-nude images of the 14-year-old girl he was grooming. These findings confirmed the extent of his predatory behavior.

Prosecutor Ms. Shergill detailed that Roberts had engaged in sexual activity with the girl on two separate occasions. The grooming process involved relentless messaging—24 depraved and crude messages—where he asked her to send semi-nude photos and expressed a desire for sexual contact. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted feeling embarrassed and remorseful after their encounters but was manipulated into meeting him again when Roberts professed his love and claimed he wanted to spend his life with her.

Further disturbing was the incident at Wat Tyler Country Park in Basildon, Essex, where Roberts sexually touched the girl. Following this, he bought her a meal from McDonald's, which they ate together in his car. The girl’s account highlighted her feelings of shame and confusion, yet she was still persuaded to meet Roberts again.

Roberts’s defense, presented by Richard Barrett, acknowledged that his client lacked insight and empathy regarding his actions. Roberts pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of sexual activity with a female child, two counts of sexual grooming, attempting to meet a child following grooming, and attempted sexual activity. His criminal behavior has left a lasting impact on the victim and has raised serious concerns about online safety and the protection of minors in the digital age.