PERTH PAEDOPHILE RICHARD CABENA CAUGHT GROOMING UNDERAGE GIRLS ONLINE FROM KINLOCH
In a series of disturbing online incidents, Richard Cabena, a 42-year-old man from Kinloch near Blairgowrie, has been implicated in grooming underage girls through deceptive online practices.Despite being confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida, Cabena engaged in predatory behavior that has now led to serious criminal charges and a potential prison sentence.
In May 2019, Cabena appeared at Perth Sheriff Court facing charges related to his online misconduct.
The court was informed that he had posed as a teenage boy, claiming to be just 14 years old, in order to establish contact with young girls.
He successfully groomed a 12-year-old girl by persuading her to send revealing photographs of herself.
Additionally, he developed a friendship with a 15-year-old girl on Facebook, falsely claiming he was 18.
During a Skype call with this girl, he asked her to unzip her pyjama top and dared her to touch her breasts over her bra, all while both parties had their cameras turned on.
However, Cabena claimed his own camera was broken during the incident.
Sheriff William Wood deferred sentencing to allow prison authorities to assess whether Cabena could be adequately supervised within the prison system, given his physical condition.
The court emphasized the seriousness of the charges, highlighting the deception involved and the distress caused to the victims.
The sheriff stated, “These charges are serious.
They involve deception and involve attempting to get girls, by pretending you were significantly younger, to expose themselves in a distressing, humiliating and alarming way.” Earlier in March 2019, it was revealed that Cabena had set up a fake Facebook profile under the alias ‘John Grant’ to contact young girls.
Using this false identity, he persuaded them to strip on camera, seeking sexual gratification from his victims.
The court heard that he had engaged in conversations with a 12-year-old girl, encouraging her to send naked pictures and asking her to remove her top during a Skype call.
He also maintained contact with a 15-year-old girl, again claiming to be 18, and asked her to pull down her zipper and touch her breasts over her bra.
The girl refused, citing her need to do homework and the presence of an adult at home.
During the proceedings, the court was told that Cabena’s actions were predatory in nature, with him holding himself out as significantly younger than his actual age to lure the victims.
He admitted to two charges: one involving the coercion of a 15-year-old girl to strip and engage in sexual activity on Skype on August 16, 2015, and another involving persuading a 12-year-old girl to send naked images via Skype.
In February 2019, further details emerged about Cabena’s online misconduct.
He had attempted to obtain explicit photographs from a 12-year-old girl by grooming her online, calling her “cute” and asking for pictures of her clothing.
His conversations with the 15-year-old girl included requests for her to remove her top and touch her breasts during a Skype call, despite her protests that she needed to do homework and was at home with a grown-up.
These interactions were part of a pattern of grooming behavior that the court described as deeply disturbing.
When arrested in March 2018, Cabena admitted to using the ‘Jon Grant’ Facebook profile but claimed he could not recall the explicit conversations.
The police seized his computer, which was being examined for evidence.
The court was told that the second victim was identified in December 2017, after the police traced the online communications.
The investigation revealed that Cabena had lied about his age and identity to manipulate the victims, with the intent of sexually exploiting them.
Sheriff William Wood acknowledged the challenges posed by Cabena’s physical condition but emphasized the gravity of his offenses.
The court will decide on the appropriate sentence after background reports are completed, with sentencing scheduled for March 27.
The court also ordered that Cabena’s name be added to the sex offenders’ register for ten years, and his computer was to be forfeited as part of the proceedings.
