LEE ROBERT FROM SHAW AND BAXENDEN INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SCANDAL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Shaw and Baxenden, Lee Robert, aged 23, was found to have downloaded and stored a significant number of indecent images of children, leading to serious legal consequences. The incident came to light after police investigations revealed that Robert had accessed a total of 111 illicit images, including six video clips, using the family’s computer system.

According to court reports, the investigation uncovered that the software used to download these images appeared to function correctly only when operated under the user account registered to Lee Robert. This detail was crucial in establishing his direct involvement in the illegal activity. The police action followed an earlier arrest of Robert’s father, David, which had already caused considerable distress within the family unit. The arrest of David Robert-Shaw took place in June 2006, during a police raid at their residence in Baxenden, where a computer and related accessories were seized.

It was during subsequent inquiries that authorities identified the explicit nature of the material stored on the computer. The images depicted children ranging from as young as one or two years old up to approximately eleven or twelve. The court was informed that the titles of the files were highly explicit, making it “blindingly obvious” what the content entailed. Importantly, there was no evidence to suggest that Robert had distributed these images to others, but the mere possession was enough to warrant serious charges.

Further investigation revealed that the images had been downloaded onto the hard drive via a user account named ‘Lee,’ which was linked to Lee Robert. The police confirmed that the software involved in the downloads only appeared to work correctly for this specific user account. The timeline of the downloads was established to be between January 2005 and June 2006, when Robert was approximately 20 and 21 years old.

In July 2006, officers returned to Robert’s address and made an arrest. At that time, Robert was identified as having no prior criminal record. The prosecution outlined that among the images found, only one was classified at the highest level of severity, level five, indicating a particularly grave nature of the content.

Lee Robert, who had previously worked at a McDonald’s outlet in Rising Bridge, pleaded guilty to 28 charges of making indecent images of children. The court was informed that he would be required to register as a sex offender for five years. As part of his sentencing, Robert was given a two-year community order, which included a mandate to participate in an internet sex offenders treatment program.

During the hearing, Robert’s defense attorney, Mr. Robert Platts, stated, “This is a young man who has learned his lesson the hard way. He is never going to come before the courts for anything at all in the future.”

Judge Beverley Lunt, considering testimonials and a letter from Robert’s mother, delivered her sentence with a stern reminder of the gravity of the offense. She emphasized, “Let there be no misunderstanding, the only victims of this tragedy are those poor children suffering the most horrendous abuse at the hands of adults to satisfy the perverse pleasures that weak-minded individuals like you seem to get from this.”

Judge Lunt also addressed the impact on Robert’s family, stating, “It is your fault if your family has suffered as a result of publicity about this case. You have brought all of this on your head. You are blessed indeed by this family who are standing by you and surrounding you with support.”