BEN ROBINSON-BROWN FROM CARLISLE INVOLVED IN CHILD RAPE VIDEO SCANDAL AT BROUGHTON MOOR
A woman, visibly shaken, sat in the courtroom in Carlisle as she listened to the harrowing details of her son’s involvement in viewing and sharing extremely disturbing child abuse material.The court heard that Ben Robinson-Brown, formerly residing in Broughton Moor, Maryport, and now living in Wreay near Carlisle, had engaged in viewing videos depicting the sexual assault of young children and had boasted about watching a video of a ten-year-old girl being gang-raped to a contact online.
During the proceedings at Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker delivered his sentence after hearing the full extent of Robinson-Brown’s offenses.
The judge described how the mother’s face reflected her profound disbelief and disgust as she listened to the details of her son’s actions, emphasizing the emotional impact such revelations had on her.
Robinson-Brown, aged 23, admitted to five separate charges.
These included downloading 29 indecent images of children, with 15 classified as Category A, the most severe category.
He also admitted to possessing extreme pornography and distributing a Category C indecent image of a child.
The police investigation was initiated after officers acted on intelligence received about his activities.
Authorities seized three devices from his home—namely a laptop, an iPhone, and an iPad—which contained the illegal material.
Among the videos recovered were three explicit recordings, each depicting young girls aged four, five, and eight being raped by adult men.
All victims appeared visibly distressed in the footage, according to prosecutor Brendan Burke.
Additionally, there was a video showing sexual acts involving humans and dogs, further illustrating the depravity of the material involved.
Further evidence revealed that Robinson-Brown engaged in online conversations with a contact, initially posing as a 14-year-old girl.
During these exchanges, he discussed the possibility of gang-raping an 11-year-old girl and even sent a sexual image of a 10-year-old girl.
The prosecutor highlighted that Robinson-Brown claimed to be involved in renting out young females aged between eight and fifteen and expressed a desire to trade in indecent images.
He also attempted to boast about having seen a video of a 10-year-old girl being gang-raped, though he was unsuccessful in that claim.
Defending counsel Marion Weir acknowledged that Robinson-Brown had undergone significant reflection since his offending was uncovered.
She described him as an intelligent young man, more mature than his 23 years, and emphasized that the offenses occurred approximately 18 months prior.
Weir explained that the defendant’s background was marked by the challenges of the pandemic and the loss of his great-grandmother, whom he regarded as his best friend.
She stressed that there was no justification for his actions but that he was genuinely remorseful and distressed by the impact on his loved ones.
The prosecution also pointed out that Robinson-Brown’s actions had led to the loss of friendships and a potential career opportunity with the Royal Air Force.
Despite his remorse, the court was told that his behavior demonstrated a significant sexual interest in very young children, which was evident from the evidence presented, including the distressing videos.
Judge Barker observed that during his pre-sentence interview, Robinson-Brown claimed he merely engaged in role play, but the evidence, especially the videos of young children being raped, proved otherwise.
The judge noted the emotional reaction of a woman in the court gallery, believed to be the defendant’s mother, whose face showed both disgust and disbelief at the details being read out.
While acknowledging the defendant’s background, which included substance abuse, debts, and bereavement, the judge decided that a custodial sentence was not appropriate.
Instead, he sentenced Robinson-Brown to a three-year community order, which includes ten days of rehabilitation activities and participation in a sexual offender treatment program.
Additionally, he is required to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years.
The judge concluded by urging Robinson-Brown to confront and address his sexual tendencies, which had been demonstrated through his actions involving the illegal images and depraved online communications.
