ROBERT SINCLAIR SENTENCING REDUCED IN EPSOM FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In January 2015, Robert Sinclair, a 64-year-old from Pine Hill, Epsom, known for his disturbing fixation on girls' necks and its connection to his paedophile activities, had his prison term reduced by three years. Sinclair was originally sentenced to 12 years in June of the previous year after admitting to grooming minors over Facebook by impersonating a teenage girl. His charges included sexual assault, blackmail, sending obscene messages, and unauthorized use of a computer.

The court heard that Sinclair's victims, often young girls, would send him explicit images and perform sexual acts on webcams, which he then threatened to release online unless they complied with further demands. During a hearing on Tuesday, January 27, London's Appeal Court discussed a specific case involving a 13-year-old girl. Justice Lord Justice Bean described Sinclair as someone who "threatened to distribute the existing pictures which she had sent him on Facebook and then to her family if she didn’t comply." The court further revealed that Sinclair had a particular interest in children's necks.

Additionally, Sinclair convinced a 13-year-old girl to perform dangerous acts on a webcam, including half-throttling herself, slapping herself, and inserting fingers into her windpipe. This traumatic experience left her feeling suicidal, the court was told. The judges—Lord Justice Bean, Mr Justice Irwin, and Judge Paul Batty QC—also considered Sinclair’s prior approach in 2012, when he approached a nine-year-old in an alleyway in Epsom and fondled her neck before taking a photograph.

Despite these findings, the judges accepted Sinclair’s appeal that his original 12-year sentence was excessive. They concluded that a more appropriate sentence would have been nine years.

Previously, in June 2014, Sinclair was convicted of a series of heinous crimes. He had created numerous online identities to groom children across the country, sending them gifts, and manipulating them into compliance. Before sentencing, Sinclair pleaded guilty to 33 counts, including inciting sexual activity from children, possessing and distributing indecent images, sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl, attempting to pervert the course of justice, blackmail, sending obscene communications, and unauthorized use of a computer.

Sinclair's online predation involved establishing false identities, mostly posing as teenagers aged 14 to 16, via 31 fake Facebook accounts. Through these accounts, he gained the trust of his victims, who then sent him explicit images and performed sex acts on webcams that he uploaded online.

He frequently requested victims to perform dangerous acts on webcam, such as strangulation, and to take pictures of their necks for his sexual gratification. Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team began probing Sinclair after discovering a file sharing profile linked to indecent images, which was traced back to him. He was arrested in October 2014 and remained silent during his police interview.

Detective Constable Steve Branch, leading the inquiry, commented: "Robert Sinclair carried out an extremely organised and complex operation of horrific offending which has caused a huge amount of emotional trauma to the victims."

He added: "He displayed abhorrent behaviour in targeting, grooming, and controlling children he developed online relationships with. What he asked his victims to do was particularly unpleasant and dangerous. We encourage anyone who might have been affected to come forward."

The investigation culminated in Sinclair being sentenced to 12 years and he was also placed under an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, reflecting the severity and ongoing risk associated with his crimes.