DANIEL ROBINSON, CONVICTED CHILD RAPE OFFENDER, TARGETS GIRLS IN SCOTLAND YARD OPERATION - DUNSTER
A predator responsible for targeting teenage girls in chat rooms was exposed as a convicted child rapist through a Scotland Yard sting operation.Daniel Robinson, pretending to be a 17-year-old, engaged with a girl aged 13 and encouraged her to touch herself and send explicit images, unaware that he was communicating with an undercover police officer.
Authorities traced him to his residence, where they discovered images of a previous victim on his computer.
Robinson, 34, was already on the sex offenders' register because of a 2006 conviction for raping a 14-year-old gymnast whom he met while working as a fitness trainer in Taunton.
He drove the girl to an area near his former home in Watchet, where he committed sexual assault and rape.
He received a six-year prison sentence at Taunton Crown Court in 2006.
Currently residing at Conygar View, Dunster, Robinson admitted charges including attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage a child in sexual communication, and creating indecent images of children.
He was sentenced to two years by Recorder Jonathan Barnes at Exeter Crown Court and was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order that limits his future contact with children and restricts internet use.
Addressing Robinson, the judge commented: "These offences are aggravated very seriously by your previous conviction for rape.
After anxious consideration, I am persuaded, just, that you should not be classified as a dangerous offender." Prosecutor Mr.
Robert Yates explained that Robinson contacted what he believed was a 13-year-old girl named Libby on the kids’ channel of the Chat Avenue website in June 2017, claiming to be a 17-year-old boy.
Mr.
Yates stated, "The conversation was of a sexual nature and he suggested a video call in which he proposed to masturbate." He added that Robinson urged Libby to display her breasts and genital areas on Skype and to perform sexual acts.
The police in the Metropolitan Police Service shared Robinson’s details with colleagues in Barnstaple; his home was subsequently searched.
An analysis of his computer revealed four images of young girls exposing themselves, which he admitted had been sent after chat room contact.
His defense lawyer, Mr.
Rupert Taylor, noted that Robinson had no physical contact with any girl and claimed the Skype conversations were not with real individuals.
He stated that Robinson is currently living with his family and is employed as a head chef.
The probation service has recommended that he undergo a sex offender treatment program, which, unlike in jail, would be available to him.
