WADE ROBINSON FROM HOLSWORTHY SENTENCED TO EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE AND POSSESSION OF HARMFUL IMAGES

A man from Holsworthy has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term of eight and a half years after being found guilty of serious crimes involving the abuse of a young girl and the possession of hundreds of illicit images depicting child sexual abuse.

Wade Robinson, aged 31, who does not have a fixed address but maintains connections to both Tiverton and Exeter, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to multiple charges. These included five counts of possessing online material related to child abuse and three charges linked to the sexual assault of a minor.

The court was informed that upon his release from prison, Robinson would be required to serve an additional three and a half years on licence. Furthermore, he will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which aims to restrict his activities and monitor his behavior to prevent further offenses.

The investigation into Robinson’s activities was initiated after authorities linked him to an online account following the upload of a child abuse image to a website. This connection prompted law enforcement to act swiftly and decisively.

In 2022, officers executed a search warrant at an address in Exeter. During the operation, Robinson attempted to evade arrest by jumping out of a garden window. In his haste, he also threw his mobile phone over a neighboring fence in an apparent effort to destroy evidence.

Despite his escape attempt, officers managed to apprehend him in the garden. A neighbor alerted the police that Robinson’s phone was lying on their lawn. Robinson was subsequently detained and taken for questioning. During the interview, he refused to provide the PIN code for his device. However, digital forensic experts were able to unlock the phone without his cooperation.

A thorough examination of the device revealed more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse, including material classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe and explicit form of such content.

Following his arrest, a victim came forward and disclosed that she had been subjected to abuse by Robinson. She provided a detailed account of her experiences. Investigators examined several images on Robinson’s phone, which were confirmed to depict the victim as a child. After detailed analysis and professional assessment, detectives compiled sufficient evidence to charge Robinson with multiple offenses.

Thanks to the diligent work of the Devon & Cornwall Police, the case against Robinson was built on a solid evidential foundation. Faced with overwhelming proof, Robinson chose to plead guilty, thereby avoiding a lengthy trial and sparing the victim from reliving her trauma in court.

Robinson, who refused to leave his cell to face sentencing in person, will be registered as a sex offender for life. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Adkin criticized Robinson’s refusal to engage with the court, stating, “He has refused to engage with the court and is not on the video link and is clearly an individual who doesn’t have the courage to face up to the fact he has committed these incidents of utter depravity.”