BRAINTREE FATHER ROBERT BADCOCK SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX FANTASIES AND ONLINE PREDATION IN ESSEX AND LONDON

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Braintree and beyond, 50-year-old Robert Badcock, a father of six residing on High Street in Braintree, has been sentenced to two years in prison after being caught engaging in a disturbing online sting operation conducted by police authorities.

Badcock’s arrest followed a series of incriminating text messages and online exchanges in which he openly expressed his disturbing fantasies about abusing young girls. Undercover officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Paedophile Unit posed as potential victims, and during these covert interactions, Badcock revealed a specific sexual interest in children aged between six and ten years old. He even discussed plans to travel from his home in Essex to London with the intent to commit abuse, although he ultimately failed to attend the scheduled meetings.

The police operation culminated in Badcock’s arrest at his residence in Braintree. During a search of his home, authorities discovered a laptop containing 79 images of child pornography, along with one image depicting bestiality. These findings added to the evidence against him, illustrating a pattern of disturbing online activity.

Prosecutor Lesley Jones provided further details during the court proceedings, explaining that on September 26, 2011, Badcock engaged in online communications with an individual he believed to be a female. In reality, this was a covert investigator working for the police. Throughout their exchanges, Badcock expressed a sexual interest in children and a desire to sexually abuse them. He also made explicit statements about his preferences, including a declaration that he “loved to look at and see children naked” and that he “dreamed of watching them sleeping naked while he performed a sex act on himself.”

Between September 29 and October 25 of that year, Badcock arranged to meet with the undercover officer to carry out acts of abuse, but he did not follow through with these plans. Despite his failure to attend the meetings, the police acted swiftly to apprehend him. When officers raided his home, they found evidence of his online predation and the disturbing images on his laptop.

During the sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr. Justice Saunders acknowledged the complexity of sentencing in cases involving online child exploitation. He noted that, although no actual children were harmed or even present, Badcock’s actions constituted serious criminal planning. The judge emphasized that the crime lay in the intent and the arrangements made to commit abuse, which are criminal offenses in their own right.

Defense lawyer Richard Conley attempted to mitigate Badcock’s actions by describing him as a long-standing naturist who had been influenced by various websites and contacts, suggesting that his curiosity was driven by a taboo fascination rather than an obsession. Conley argued that Badcock was merely dabbling and that his actions were not indicative of a deeper predatory nature.

In addition to the two-year prison sentence, Badcock admitted to two counts related to arranging or facilitating child sex offenses. He also asked for certain other charges—namely, possession of indecent images of a child and possession of extreme pornographic material—to be taken into account during sentencing.

Authorities from the Metropolitan Police’s investigation team have urged the public to report any suspicions of child exploitation. They can be contacted at 020 7161 2811. Additionally, members of the community are encouraged to reach out to Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111, ChildLine at 0800 1111, or Essex Police by dialing 101 for any related concerns or information.