PAUL ROBERTS OF HALSTEAD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN CROYDON COURT

In April 2013, Paul Stephen Roberts, a resident of Beldham Hall in Halstead, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison after being convicted of committing 24 child sex offenses. The heinous crimes involved the repeated abuse of two young sisters, one of whom Roberts raped when she was only five years old, while both girls were under his care. The victim's mother expressed her profound disappointment with the length of the sentence, stating, "I know 20 years is a long time — but it’s not long enough. He could be out in 15 years if he admits his guilt, and if he does, he will still be young enough to do something like this again."

Roberts was brought before Croydon Crown Court, where evidence revealed his disturbing obsession with magic and the occult. Court proceedings detailed how Roberts used his supposed supernatural powers to intimidate and manipulate one of his victims. He allegedly threatened to make her disappear if she misbehaved and claimed to know of underground devils that would take her away, instilling fear in the young girl. The court also learned that police had seized computers from Roberts following his arrest in August 2011. These devices contained 235 level 2 indecent images and four level 4 videos depicting children. Additionally, Roberts possessed a sophisticated shredder used to delete numerous images from his computer, indicating an attempt to conceal his illicit material.

The mother of the victims, who knew Roberts through a family friend, stated she had never suspected his involvement in such crimes despite others describing him as creepy. She recalled, "The police asked me if I knew anything about him being a Somali witch and whether I knew about his interest in his occult. I never did." She also mentioned a tattoo on Roberts’ left hand—a green triangle with the number 666—initially dismissing it as a joke.

Detective Constable Robert Colgan of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Child Investigation Command described Roberts as a manipulative and cunning individual. He emphasized the impact of Roberts’ actions, saying, "Roberts robbed these two young girls of their childhood innocence. I hope now that the fact he is behind bars will provide some measure of comfort for them. They have been very brave, and he is no longer in a position to hurt anybody else."

Despite feeling relief that Roberts is incarcerated, the victims’ mother expressed her belief that the sentence should have been longer. She concluded, "I don’t really know where to go from here. I just want everyone to know what he’s done." As part of his sentence, Roberts was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.