ROBERT CARTER FROM YARM CAUGHT WITH NEARLY 22,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In April 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Robert Carter, a 68-year-old resident of Yarm, who was found to possess an alarming collection of child sexual abuse material. The investigation revealed that Carter had accumulated nearly 22,000 indecent images and videos depicting children over a span of more than 18 years, stored across multiple Apple devices. Despite his claims of innocence and denial of any sexual interest in children, the evidence painted a different picture.

On January 29, 2019, Cleveland Police executed a search warrant at Carter’s family home on Nursery Gardens, Yarm, which he shares with his wife. The officers arrived early in the morning at approximately 7:10 am, seizing a significant amount of technical equipment. Law enforcement described Carter as operating a sophisticated smart home setup, indicating a complex and well-organized digital environment.

During the search, police recovered several Apple devices, including an iPhone 10, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and two Western Digital external hard drives. A forensic examination revealed that all these devices were linked to a single Apple ID account. The investigation uncovered numerous search terms related to child abuse, and emails dating back to 2002 were also discovered, linked to the abusive material.

Further analysis of Carter’s mobile phone revealed the presence of indecent keywords in his browsing history, along with searches related to 'pre-teen' content. The devices contained a total of 312 images and 62 videos classified under the most serious category, Category A, which law defines as the gravest form of child abuse material. Additionally, there were 679 images and 98 videos categorized as Category B, and a staggering 20,415 images along with 133 videos classified as Category C, which is considered less severe but still illegal.

In total, authorities found 21,699 images and videos on Carter’s devices. During police interviews, Carter denied possessing any child abuse images, claiming instead that he had only viewed images of 'nudist beaches' and questioned whether such searches were illegal. He also stated that he did not actively search for abusive material but merely 'collected pictures.' Throughout the interviews and in his pre-sentence report, Carter insisted that he did not have a sexual interest in children.

However, the court was presented with compelling evidence that contradicted his claims. Judge Deborah Sherwin emphasized that the abuse was inflicted upon real children, and she expressed her belief that Carter must have had an interest in minors. As a result, Carter was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years. He is also required to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities, pay prosecution costs, and will be subject to a 10-year registration on the sex offenders register.