ANDY ROBSON, DORKING, SENTENCED FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION IN SURREY

In July 2017, Andy Robson, a 42-year-old deputy headteacher and children’s safeguarding leader from Dorking, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of serious misconduct involving the filming of children in changing rooms.

Robson was found guilty of taking photographs and videos of 70 naked schoolchildren at two different Surrey schools—Surrey Hills CofE Primary School in Mole Valley and Ewell Castle School in Ewell. During the court hearing at Guildford Crown Court, parents of his victims were visibly distressed, some breaking down in tears as prosecutors detailed how Robson used his iPhone to secretly record children during their changing routines following sports activities.

His disturbing actions spanned several years, during which he served as a safeguarding trainer and leader at both schools. Recorder Michael Bromley-Martin described Robson’s conduct as "a gross breach of trust". The court also heard that Robson had an addiction to downloading images and videos of naked children using specialized software; he would often delete these files out of guilt before re-downloading new ones.

Police arrested Robson in February at his Leslie Road home in Dorking. During a search, officers confiscated a laptop, USB sticks, and two hard drives, all containing indecent images of children. He was charged with two counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of taking indecent images. Robson pleaded guilty to all charges at Staines Magistrates’ Court on June 19.

At his sentencing hearing at Guildford Crown Court, Robson sat with his head bowed as several parents of victims attended. Prosecutor Lee Harris read statements from affected families, highlighting the devastating impact. Harris explained, "Mr Robson worked at two different schools at two different times, starting at Ewell just three days before the first image was taken. All images were filmed on an iPhone. Mr Robson was deputy and acting head teacher for two terms and attended multiple child protection courses, knowing what warning signs to look for and when to raise concerns."

The court was informed that following the police investigation, both schools and the parents of the identified children were promptly notified. Harris also shared a victim impact statement, saying: "Our two children believed school to be a safe place, trusted Mr Robson, and thought he was a good teacher. When we learned what had happened during a police briefing, our world shattered."

In another impact statement, a parent reported their child asking, "What is a paedophile?" He added, "Such a word shouldn’t need to be in their vocabulary. Robson only stopped his misconduct when he was caught. He did not turn himself in."

Judge Bromley-Martin took about 20 minutes to consider the appropriate sentence. He stated, "The images, though unsophisticated in execution, depict preschool children in compromising situations. Children, parents, and the public expect protection, not exploitation. These acts were done covertly up until the arrest. The offences span two separate periods at different schools. These are moving images of prepubescent children, and many families have been affected. This is a gross breach of trust."

The judge acknowledged Robson’s remorse but emphasized the gravity of his actions, ruling that a custodial sentence was necessary and not suitable for suspension. Robson was sentenced to nine months for each of the two counts of producing indecent images—these are to run consecutively—and six months and three months for making indecent images, respectively. These sentences will run together, totaling two years.

Before being taken into custody, Robson was issued a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) valid for ten years and was registered as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.