MICHAEL ROBINS FROM CAMBRIDGE SENTENCED FOR RECORD-BREAKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE

In a case that has shocked the local community and set a disturbing record, Michael Robins, a resident of Manor Place, Market, Cambridge, has been sentenced to prison after being found in possession of an unprecedented number of indecent images of children. The investigation, which uncovered over 36,000 illicit images, marks the highest volume ever recorded in Cambridge for such offenses.

Robins, aged 54, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of creating indecent images of a child and two counts of possessing such images. His arrest took place on July 21 of the previous year, when authorities executed a search warrant at his residence. During the raid, officers discovered the incriminating material stored across two hard drives and a computer tower, all belonging to Robins.

In court, Robins attempted to justify his actions by claiming he was merely a “collector of images.” However, the evidence painted a far more disturbing picture. The authorities found a staggering total of 36,386 images, categorized into various severity levels. Among these, 30,802 were classified as the least serious, level one images, while 942 fell into level two. More troubling were the 1,825 images categorized as level three, 2,641 as level four, and a disturbing 176 images at the most severe level five.

During the proceedings, Robins defended himself, explaining that his collection began as a response to depression stemming from his failing online marketplace business. He stated, “I turned to collecting things. Other people collect stamps but I collected images. Most of them I have never actually looked at. It was not so much about the content but about collecting the images that was important.”

Prosecutor Michael Magee highlighted the severity of the case, revealing that officers spent six and a half days examining the images, yet had only managed to review 13 percent of the total collection. He described the level five images as particularly “unpleasant,” noting that officers observed clear signs of fear and distress in the children depicted.

Cambridge Crown Court also heard that Robins was not a first-time offender. He had previously been sentenced at Lewes Crown Court in May 2004 to two years in prison, along with treatment programs, for a similar offense. The earliest image found during the recent raid dated back to April 2010, less than a year after his previous license had expired on May 11, 2008.

Mr Magee emphasized that the material involved children primarily aged between 9 and 13, with some as young as 7. Robins admitted to deriving sexual gratification from some of the images, further underscoring the gravity of his actions.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth, delivering the sentence, expressed his condemnation of Robins’ repeated offending. He stated, “Within 11 months of the termination of this license, you were back to your old ways, viewing a vast number of images of children right up to level five.”

Robins was sentenced to four years in prison, with an actual custodial period of two years. Upon release, he will serve an additional four years on license and will be required to attend sex offending treatment sessions. Furthermore, he will be subject to a sex offenders prevention order and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Following the sentencing, DC Richard Newman, an officer involved in the investigation, commented on the case, saying, “In terms of the sheer volume of images, this is the worst case we have ever seen. Some people think viewing child abuse images is harmless but it is not. It creates a market.”