JOHN ROBSON FROM HORDEN SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTING TO BUY 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN TEESSIDE

In a case that has drawn significant attention, John Robson, a 36-year-old man from Horden, was convicted of attempting to purchase a 12-year-old girl for sexual purposes. The incident, which took place in 2006, culminated in Robson receiving a three-year prison sentence and a lifelong order to register as a sex offender.

Robson’s conviction was reaffirmed at a retrial held at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday. This retrial followed a previous conviction in January of the previous year, which was later overturned by the Court of Appeal in November due to legal technicalities. Despite the initial setback, the jury at the recent trial found Robson guilty of attempting to arrange a child sex offence, leading to the same sentence he received last February.

It was revealed during the court proceedings that Robson, who resides on Thorpe Crescent in Horden, near Peterlee in east Durham, would be eligible for release this summer, as he has already served a significant portion of his sentence. The court also noted that an order prohibiting Robson from having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16 was rescinded due to a legal technicality, though this does not alter the severity of his conviction.

The case came to light when Robson was found to have been persistently contacting a prostitute working in the red light district of Thornaby, near Stockton. The 21-year-old woman, who had been a regular contact for Robson over the past three years, became alarmed by his repeated text messages over a three-month period. Her disgust and concern prompted her to report the matter to the police.

During the trial, the court heard that Robson’s legal team argued that his actions were merely inquiries rather than an actual attempt to commit a crime. They contended that he had not gone beyond the stage of making preparations, asserting that he had not taken any concrete steps toward engaging in illegal activity. Nonetheless, the jury found sufficient evidence to convict him of attempting to facilitate a child sex offence, leading to his current sentence and registration requirement.