ROBBIE CUNNINGHAM OF DREGHORN CAUGHT GROOMING BOYS AT ICE RINKS IN AYRSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Dreghorn and the wider Ayrshire region, Robbie Cunningham, a 20-year-old man from Dreghorn, has been found guilty of grooming young boys through social media platforms, specifically Facebook, after meeting them at local ice skating rinks. The case, which has garnered significant media attention, highlights the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable children.

Robbie Cunningham's offending spree spanned several years, during which he targeted boys as young as nine years old. His actions came to light after a series of investigations and reports from concerned parents and guardians. Cunningham's inappropriate and predatory behavior involved sending explicit and sexual messages to multiple boys, some as young as 11, with the intent of luring them into sexual activity.

The horrifying details emerged during court proceedings at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. It was revealed that Cunningham had befriended boys he met at the Magnum and Auchenharvie Leisure Centre ice rinks, establishing online contact that quickly turned sinister. One of his earliest victims was a nine-year-old boy from North Ayrshire, who met Cunningham while ice skating. The two became Facebook friends, and over the course of more than a year, Cunningham repeatedly sent messages asking the young boy to meet him in the toilets at the Magnum ice rink, suggesting illicit activities.

As the victim grew older, Cunningham's messages became more jealous and obsessive. When the boy was 14 and had a girlfriend, Cunningham expressed feelings of jealousy, stating: “You’re so selfish and you never pay any attention to me.” He continued to ask the boy to meet him at the Magnum toilets to “do stuff,” despite the boy’s repeated refusals. These messages persisted until the boy moved away to attend university in Stirling, ending Cunningham’s attempts to contact him.

Further victims came to light, including an 11-year-old boy to whom Cunningham sent a message in 2011, comparing his hair to Justin Bieber’s. During the same period, Cunningham targeted another 11-year-old, sending inappropriate sexual messages that were only discovered when the boy’s mother checked his internet history. Shocked and appalled by what she found, she immediately contacted the school, which was then attended by Cunningham, who was in sixth year and working as a tutor helping pupils with mathematics.

A meeting was convened involving the head teacher, a campus police officer, and Cunningham himself. During this meeting, Cunningham was warned about his behavior, but no further action was taken at that time. However, the situation escalated when the boy’s father discovered additional obscene messages in late 2011. He contacted Cunningham directly to warn him to stay away from his son and also reported his concerns to the school, fearing Cunningham was grooming his child. Despite these warnings, Cunningham continued his online activity, and no immediate action was taken against him.

In January 2012, Cunningham’s predatory behavior persisted when he messaged yet another young boy, asking if he would perform sexual acts on him in his bedroom and instructing him to keep it secret. The boy refused, explaining he was only 12 and not gay, but Cunningham insisted and claimed to have “done it with loads of other boys.” When asked if those boys were gay, Cunningham replied, “No they just wanted to have a bit of fun.” The frightened boy deleted all messages and ceased contact with Cunningham, although he still occasionally saw him at the ice skating rink.

The disturbing pattern of Cunningham’s behavior was finally exposed in February 2013, after he befriended another 12-year-old boy and began sending him messages expressing a desire to “f*** him.” The boy’s father, upon discovering these messages, immediately recognized signs of grooming and warned Cunningham to stay away from his son and the ice skating rink. The following day, the father reported the incident directly to the police.

Law enforcement officers responded swiftly, executing a raid on Cunningham’s residence on Holmes Avenue, Dreghorn, on June 25, 2013. During the raid, police recovered multiple computers and electronic devices containing logs of all the messages Cunningham had sent to his victims. Cunningham was detained on August 21, 2013, and taken in for questioning. During the interview, Cunningham declined to comment initially but eventually broke down in tears, revealing that he was “confused” about his sexuality. He claimed to be attracted to women but also to young boys and stated he was waiting to see a psychologist for help.

Earlier in the year, Cunningham pleaded guilty to six charges of sending sexual messages to five children between 2009 and 2013 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. As part of his sentencing, his name was added to the Sex Offenders Register. He also admitted to breaching bail conditions by having unsupervised contact with a boy under 16, sending him a Facebook message suggesting that rumors about him were not “the full story.”

In a recent court hearing, Cunningham’s sentencing was influenced by the fact that he is expecting a child with his girlfriend, who is pregnant and due in October. Sheriff Livingston, faced with the choice between a community-based sentence and imprisonment, decided on a non-custodial approach. The sheriff stated, “I have come to the conclusion that I can deal with this matter by way of a non-custodial sentence. It appears that you are capable of controlling your behaviour, and I believe the public would be better served by keeping you under supervision for a significant period of time, rather than going to custody for a shorter one.”

Robbie Cunningham was sentenced to three years of supervision and ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work. Additionally, he will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the same duration and is prohibited from having direct, unsupervised contact with children under 16. His internet use will be restricted to work and study purposes, and he must cooperate with police requests to examine his electronic devices. This case underscores the ongoing threat posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance in safeguarding children from grooming and exploitation.