PHILIP ROBST SENTENCED TO 18 MONTHS FOR SEXUAL HARM BREACHES AND EXTREME PORNOGRAPHY IN DONCASTER
A convicted sex offender, Philip Robst, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of multiple serious breaches related to sexual harm prevention orders and possession of extreme pornographic content involving animals.The sentencing took place at Bradford Crown Court, where the court heard that Robst, aged 40 and currently residing at HMP and YOI Moorland on Bawtry Road, Lindholme, Doncaster, had committed these offences in Bradford on September 24, 2021.
Robst’s legal troubles stem from a series of violations that occurred in May of the same year.
On May 19, 2021, he was formally charged with breaching the conditions of his sexual harm prevention orders.
These violations included subscribing to Snapchat, a popular social media platform known for its file storage capabilities, which he was not permitted to do under the terms of his orders.
Additionally, he was accused of refusing to allow authorities to inspect his electronic devices, deleting browsing and usage histories from his hardware, and failing to adhere to other requirements associated with the sex offender register.
The charges detailed that Robst’s refusal to cooperate and attempt to hide his activities demonstrated a blatant disregard for the restrictions placed upon him due to his previous conviction for sexual offences involving a child.
The authorities found that he had actively attempted to conceal his activities, raising serious concerns about his compliance with legal obligations meant to protect the public.
Prosecutor David Ward emphasized that Robst was not a first-time offender; he had previously been convicted of sexual activity with a minor.
He stated, “This is clearly a deliberate breach and it's all aggravated by his previous conviction,” underlining the seriousness of the ongoing violations.
The investigation also uncovered that Robst possessed extremely disturbing material, including eight images depicting sexual acts with animals.
According to the prosecutor, seven of these were still images, while one was a moving picture.
Police reports indicated that many other related images had been deleted from his devices, suggesting an attempt to hide or destroy evidence of his activities.
In his defence, Robst’s solicitor argued that his client’s actions were partly influenced by the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led him to seek solace in pornography.
The solicitor acknowledged Robst’s recognition of his mistakes, stating that the offender had admitted his “stupidity” and had accepted responsibility for his conduct at the earliest opportunity.
However, the court, led by Recorder Alex Menary, did not see leniency as appropriate for these violations.
During sentencing, Mr.
Menary explicitly detailed the disturbing nature of the material found on Robst’s devices, noting the presence of eight extreme images involving animals, including one moving image, and highlighted that many other images had been deleted, indicating an attempt to conceal indecent material.
Robst’s sentence of 18 months reflects the gravity with which the court viewed his breaches of legal restrictions and possession of illegal material, emphasizing the ongoing risks posed by such offenders even after initial convictions.
