ENFIELD TRUCK DRIVER ROBERT BOLES SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING RADCLIFFE TEENAGER

In March 2004, a serious case of online grooming and sexual exploitation unfolded involving a truck driver from Enfield, identified as Robert Boles. The incident centered around a 15-year-old girl from Radcliffe, who was lured through internet communications and subsequently subjected to a series of inappropriate encounters.

Robert Boles, aged 38, traveled over 200 miles from his residence near London to Radcliffe on multiple occasions, specifically targeting the young girl. Over the course of a month, he made three separate journeys, each time arriving at a Metrolink station close to her home in Radcliffe on a Saturday afternoon. His intent was to meet her in person, and he would then take her to nearby hotels where they engaged in drinking alcohol and sexual activity.

The police investigation revealed that Boles’s visits culminated in a fourth meeting at Whitefield Metrolink station on January 24. During this encounter, he took the girl to his house in Enfield, Middlesex. The girl’s parents, concerned about her whereabouts, reported her missing, prompting authorities to investigate. Bury police, upon examining her diary, discovered his address and traced his movements.

On January 27, officers visited Boles’s residence in Enfield and found him with the girl. During the search, they also uncovered videotapes containing indecent images of the teenager. Boles claimed that the girl had told him she was 16 years old, which he used to justify his actions. However, the legal proceedings revealed that the girl, for legal reasons, could not be named publicly.

At Bolton Crown Court, Boles faced multiple charges. He admitted to five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl, as well as charges related to taking indecent photographs and abducting her. The court heard that their communication began in an internet chat room in March of the previous year, after which they continued contact via email, telephone, and text messages.

Henry Blackshaw, representing Boles, argued that the defendant was a man who frequently used the internet to meet women and expressed remorse upon learning of the girl’s true age. Blackshaw stated, “She has said she told people when she was 14 that she was 15 and when she was 15 that she was 16 in quite a considered and calculated way, she had a habit of deceiving about her age.” Additionally, the defense claimed that the girl had previously sent Boles an indecent photograph.

Judge Hope Derwent addressed Boles directly, emphasizing the importance of protecting vulnerable minors. She remarked, “You say she told you she was 16 but as a man of 38, you know girls are not always honest about their ages and the law is there to protect girls under 15 against their own vulnerability.”

Ultimately, Boles was sentenced to a total of one year in prison. The court imposed nine months for each of the five counts of unlawful sexual activity, three months for the possession of indecent photographs, and an additional 12 months for child abduction, all to run concurrently. The judge also ordered Boles to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years, overriding a recommendation for a community penalty, reflecting the severity of his offenses.