ROBER GUNN OF WOKING FACES JUDGE AFTER CONFESSION AT MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT

In April 2008, Robert Gunn, a resident of Eastmead, Woking, confronted serious legal charges following his encounter at Minneapolis Airport. Customs officials revealed that Gunn, aged 55, admitted to having hundreds of indecent images of young girls on his personal computer. His admission came after he failed to declare a prior conviction for indecent assault on an eight-year-old girl.

Gunn told authorities he possessed hundreds of explicit images of girls aged 10 to 13, which he accessed via the internet, stored on his computer at home. American customs officers denied him entry into the United States and contacted Surrey Police upon his attempt to travel. Gunn was subsequently arrested upon his return to Gatwick Airport.

A police search of his residence uncovered 657 images, which prosecutors described as all being of the lowest explicit level. During police interviews, Gunn did not comment, though he claimed to have confessed 'under duress' when initially arrested.

At Guildford Crown Court, Gunn pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing and ten counts of making indecent photographs of a child. He was spared imprisonment and was instead sentenced on Monday to a three-year supervision order, which includes participation in a sex offender treatment program. Additionally, he is now subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children.

Judge Neil Stewart stated, “This is necessary for the purpose of protecting the public from serious sexual harm.”

The court also reviewed Gunn’s criminal history, which includes a previous conviction from 1980 for molesting an eight-year-old girl and taking 'revealing' photographs of her. Judge Stewart emphasized the significance of this long-standing pattern, saying, “It was a long time ago, 27 years, and it is often thought that the longer ago the offence, the less relevant it is. However, it demonstrates an ongoing inappropriate attitude towards girls that has persisted over many years.

He further remarked, “You do have, I am sure, an attitude to these matters that is inappropriate and needs to be addressed. These are not victimless crimes. It is your responsibility, and you must come to terms with that and deal with it.”