ROBIN COOK GROOMS AND RAPES TEENAGE GIRL IN HAVANT AND THEALE
| Red Rose Database
Havant Rapist
In June 2023, Robin Cook, a 52-year-old man from Havant, was sentenced to ten years in prison after a series of heinous crimes involving the grooming and sexual assault of a young girl. The disturbing case unfolded over several years, revealing a calculated pattern of manipulation and abuse that shocked the local community and the wider public.
Cook initially engaged with the victim, a 13-year-old girl, through online platforms, including the live-streaming service Twitch. Operating under the alias ‘Robbie,’ he pretended to be a 17-year-old boy, establishing a false identity to gain her trust. His online interactions began around 2016, when he was approximately 46 years old. Over the course of two years, Cook persistently groomed the girl, encouraging her to send intimate photographs and fostering a false sense of a romantic relationship.
During this period, the girl believed she was forming a close bond with her ‘online best friend,’ unaware of Cook’s true identity. The pair did not engage in video calls initially, with Cook claiming he was ‘insecure,’ but he gradually persuaded her to send more personal images. The girl, at just 14 years old, was eventually invited by Cook to meet at a beach in Portsmouth, where her family was on holiday. She searched for him at the designated location but was unable to find him. Later, her friend informed her that ‘Robbie’ had taken photographs of her at the beach, which added to her confusion and distress.
It was only after Cook revealed his true identity via a video call that the girl experienced a profound emotional reaction, realizing she had been deceived by an adult male pretending to be a peer. Shocked and upset, she described her feelings to police, recounting her confusion and betrayal. Immediately following this revelation, Cook drove to her home and proceeded to sexually assault her multiple times over the subsequent years. The assaults took place at various locations, including hotels, his own residence, and other unknown sites, all while the girl was under the age of 16. During this period, Cook also bought her sex toys and clothing, further entrenching his manipulative control.
The victim, in a heartfelt statement read aloud in court, detailed the profound impact the abuse had on her life. She expressed how her trust in others was shattered, her self-confidence severely damaged, and how she was forced to mature rapidly to cope with the trauma. She described feeling embarrassed and betrayed, emphasizing that she was just a child at the time. Her words conveyed the deep scars left by Cook’s actions, and she explicitly stated, “What you did to me was so abhorrent and terrible, I would not wish it on my worst enemy.”
In his defense, Cook’s lawyer, Felicia Dawy, argued that her client was struggling with feelings of depression and difficulty forming meaningful attachments at the time. She explained that Cook, who was separated from his wife but still living with her, found it challenging to establish healthy relationships. Dawy acknowledged Cook’s responsibility for his actions but suggested that he was seeking care and love in the wrong places, which contributed to his misconduct.
Judge Edward Burgess, presiding over the case at Reading Crown Court, condemned Cook’s calculated and predatory behavior. He stated, “You created an online persona, Robbie, complete with photographs of an attractive young teenage boy. There can be no doubt this was a planned and calculated series of acts by you whose purpose was to ensnare a teenage girl and it reveals your predatory sexual nature. You successfully manipulated [the victim] into a situation which she felt powerless to escape. You imposed yourself on her sexually on multiple occasions. This was a cynical, selfish, systematic abuse of a vulnerable teenage girl.”
As part of his sentence, Cook will serve two-thirds of his ten-year term before being eligible for release on parole. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
Cook initially engaged with the victim, a 13-year-old girl, through online platforms, including the live-streaming service Twitch. Operating under the alias ‘Robbie,’ he pretended to be a 17-year-old boy, establishing a false identity to gain her trust. His online interactions began around 2016, when he was approximately 46 years old. Over the course of two years, Cook persistently groomed the girl, encouraging her to send intimate photographs and fostering a false sense of a romantic relationship.
During this period, the girl believed she was forming a close bond with her ‘online best friend,’ unaware of Cook’s true identity. The pair did not engage in video calls initially, with Cook claiming he was ‘insecure,’ but he gradually persuaded her to send more personal images. The girl, at just 14 years old, was eventually invited by Cook to meet at a beach in Portsmouth, where her family was on holiday. She searched for him at the designated location but was unable to find him. Later, her friend informed her that ‘Robbie’ had taken photographs of her at the beach, which added to her confusion and distress.
It was only after Cook revealed his true identity via a video call that the girl experienced a profound emotional reaction, realizing she had been deceived by an adult male pretending to be a peer. Shocked and upset, she described her feelings to police, recounting her confusion and betrayal. Immediately following this revelation, Cook drove to her home and proceeded to sexually assault her multiple times over the subsequent years. The assaults took place at various locations, including hotels, his own residence, and other unknown sites, all while the girl was under the age of 16. During this period, Cook also bought her sex toys and clothing, further entrenching his manipulative control.
The victim, in a heartfelt statement read aloud in court, detailed the profound impact the abuse had on her life. She expressed how her trust in others was shattered, her self-confidence severely damaged, and how she was forced to mature rapidly to cope with the trauma. She described feeling embarrassed and betrayed, emphasizing that she was just a child at the time. Her words conveyed the deep scars left by Cook’s actions, and she explicitly stated, “What you did to me was so abhorrent and terrible, I would not wish it on my worst enemy.”
In his defense, Cook’s lawyer, Felicia Dawy, argued that her client was struggling with feelings of depression and difficulty forming meaningful attachments at the time. She explained that Cook, who was separated from his wife but still living with her, found it challenging to establish healthy relationships. Dawy acknowledged Cook’s responsibility for his actions but suggested that he was seeking care and love in the wrong places, which contributed to his misconduct.
Judge Edward Burgess, presiding over the case at Reading Crown Court, condemned Cook’s calculated and predatory behavior. He stated, “You created an online persona, Robbie, complete with photographs of an attractive young teenage boy. There can be no doubt this was a planned and calculated series of acts by you whose purpose was to ensnare a teenage girl and it reveals your predatory sexual nature. You successfully manipulated [the victim] into a situation which she felt powerless to escape. You imposed yourself on her sexually on multiple occasions. This was a cynical, selfish, systematic abuse of a vulnerable teenage girl.”
As part of his sentence, Cook will serve two-thirds of his ten-year term before being eligible for release on parole. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.