RUSSELL ROBERTS FROM PLYMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AFTER ONLINE PREDATION

RUSSELL ROBERTS FROM PLYMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AFTER ONLINE PREDATION

A 64-year-old man from Plymouth, Russell Roberts, has been remanded back into custody after admitting to attempting to incite a young girl to engage in sexual activity.

This case follows his release from prison less than a year prior, where he served time for a previous rape conviction.

Roberts appeared at Plymouth Crown Court via video link from HMP The Verne in Dorset, where he pleaded guilty to a single count of attempting to persuade a child under 16 to partake in sexual acts.

Prosecutor Michael Brown outlined the details of the case, explaining that Roberts initially entered a plea of not guilty to multiple charges related to incidents occurring between March 9, 2022, and March 23, 2022.

However, by late June of the same year, Roberts changed his plea to guilty specifically on the charge of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

The court was informed that Roberts had urged the girl to penetrate herself with an object, a disturbing detail that underscored the severity of his actions.

In addition to this primary charge, the prosecution indicated that there were other charges on file, including possession of extreme pornographic material and attempted sexual communication, though these were not part of the current plea.

The case against Roberts was significantly aided by the efforts of 'paedophile hunters,' a group that set up a decoy Facebook account under the alias