ROBERT ESSON FROM NEWTON-IN-BOWLAND JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND SHPO BREACHES

In August 2019, Robert William Esson, a resident of Newton-in-Bowland, was found to be in possession of indecent images of children as young as three years old, leading to serious legal consequences. The case came to light when police officers from the sexual offenders management unit visited Esson’s home in Newton-in-Bowland to conduct a routine compliance check related to his existing sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Esson, aged 34 at the time, had been subject to an indefinite SHPO since May 2015, which was imposed following a three-year prison sentence he received for making and distributing indecent images of children, as well as attempting to engage in sexual activity with a minor. The order explicitly prohibited him from deleting his internet browsing history, a condition designed to ensure ongoing monitoring of his online activity.

During the inspection of his electronic devices, including an iPhone and a computer, officers discovered that Esson had been actively searching for highly disturbing content. His search history revealed terms such as ‘young and pre-teen’, ‘forced rape’, and ‘age young videos’, indicating a disturbing interest in very young children. The police found multiple categories of images on his devices, including Category A images, which are classified as the most severe forms of child abuse, along with Category B images, which included at least one video, and Category C images.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker explained that Esson had not merely stumbled upon these images but had been deliberately seeking out such material. During police interviews, Esson admitted to deleting his internet history and removing indecent images of children from his devices. He also confessed to having a particular sexual preference for girls aged between eight and eleven. However, he claimed that he did not seek out images of children being abused but derived sexual gratification from the material he viewed.

In recent months prior to his arrest, Esson had attempted to view adult pornography in an effort to satisfy his sexual needs, but he reported that it did not provide the gratification he sought. His previous breaches of the SHPO included a violation in March 2018, for which he was given a community order and required to participate in a sexual offender programme.

Ultimately, the court found Esson guilty of making and possessing indecent images of children. Judge Mark Brown sentenced him to 14 months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his offences and the ongoing risk posed by individuals with such offending histories.