December 2015 Disgraced paedophile army major jailed for ‘third time’ A disgraced Army Major has been jailed for lying to police who were monitoring him on the sex offenders’ register. Major Robert Bennett has been jailed twice before for online grooming and having indecent images of child abuse and was subject to strict monitoring by a police public protection team. He was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and on the Sex Offenders’ Register (SOR) but broke the terms of both by failing to tell police about having three computer hard drives. Bennett was a highly respected officer who served in the Army for 37 years and was on attachment to NATO when he was first convicted and jailed for having indecent images in 2009. He was jailed again in 2013 after he was trapped by a police sting operation in which an officer posed as a 12-yer-old girl called Lucy. He offered to exchange indecent photographs and was jailed for a second time. He used a false name to have one of the machines mended and paid in cash to hide his true identity, Exeter Crown Court was told. He was supposed to tell the police about any device which either had a hard drive or could go online but officers found four drives and an internet dongle when they searched his home in Devon. Bennett, aged 59, of Lichfield Drive Brixham, admitted breaching the SOR and SOPO and was jailed for 12 months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC. He told him:”The offences of failing to comply with these orders are serious and the only punishment must be an immediate prison sentence. They were clearly done to hide your ownership of the equipment. “You deliberately used a false name to conceal what you were doing from the police and paid cash for the repair, presumably for the same reason. “You lied to the police about having the hard drives and that is also a serious offence. You are not a stupid man and enjoyed a good career in the army. People speak very highly of you but I regret to say the seriousness of these offences means there must be custody.” Mr Richardo Childs, prosecuting, said Bennett was subject to the register and SOPO because of his previous convictions at Colchester and Salisbury Crown Courts and was required to tell police about any computer equipment he owned so it could be checked. He took one computer for repair and used the false surname of Clinch and during a spot check at his home officers found the three hard drives and a dongle which enabled internet connection. Bennett told them he did not have wi-fi at home, which was true, but did not disclose the dongle. Miss Emmi Wilson, defending, said Bennett is extremely isolated after the death of his parents and deserves credit not only for pleading guilty but for telling police about some of the offences. She said he used a false name because he lived in a small community and did not tell police about the computers because they contained private matters including plans for his father’s funeral. June 2013 Paedophile jailed for “grooming” undercover police officer A PAEDOPHILE army major jailed after being caught with indecent photos of children has been sent back to prison after forwarding online porn links to an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. Robert Bennett, 56, befriended the “girl” on a Belgium-based social networking site called Netlog, but in reality he was interacting with a Metropolitan Police paedophile unit officer. Salisbury Crown Court heard on Thursday that Bennett, who was living in South Street, Wilton at the time, asked the girl to be his friend on the site in May last year. She told him she was only 12 but they continued to chat and he asked if she wanted to watch a film before sending her links to films of people engaging in sexual activity. When police arrested him and seized computers at his home they also found an indecent image of a child, more than 300 extreme pornographic images, numerous searches for child abuse material and file deletion software. Defending, Peter Barlex told the court Bennett had a distinguished career in the army for 37 years, ending with NATO. He served tours in Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia as well as Iraq and was awarded the army’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. He was dismissed in 2009 when he was convicted of similar offences in Colchester. He moved to Wilton after being released from prison but felt “very isolated”. “He started abusing alcohol for the severe pain from injuries suffered while in the army,” said Mr Barlex. “He accepts he joined that site, he realises it was inappropriate, and even more so when he found out she was 12 years of age, but he simply wanted to be liked.” Judge Douglas Field described Bennett’s actions as “classic grooming”. “It seems to me that soon after your release you were showing you still had an interest in young female children,” he said. “In my judgement you’re in denial about that. It’s clear you do have a sexual interest in young female children.” He sentenced Bennett, who moved to Brixham in Devon earlier this year, to eight months in prison, ordered him to remain on the sex offenders register for ten years and made him subject to a sexual offences prevention order, also for ten years. September 2009 Iraq Major Jailed For Kid Porn Stash AN Army major who served in Iraq has been jailed for two years for having child porn Robert Bennett, 52, was caught with thousands of vile images — many of them rated extreme by law. Military cops were tipped off by the Child Exploitation Protection Team, which hunts down perverts. Computer equipment was seized from Bennett’s room at the HQ of the support regiment for the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Rheindahlen, Germany. The widower, who rose from the rank of private in a long career, was flown to Britain and held in custody. He pleaded guilty to nine sample charges at a court martial in Colchester, Essex. He also admitted four of possessing indecent photographs of children, two of possessing extreme pornographic images and three of distributing the pictures. Judge Michael Hunter, vice Judge Advocate General of the Forces, told the hearing: “There are far more photographs than contained in the nine charges — these are only samples.” Colonel Nigel Jones, prosecuting, said: “If all the items were put on the charge sheet it would run to many hundreds of pages.” As 6ft 2in Bennett stared straight ahead, Col Jones added: “In addition to the obscene images of children he was also found to have a large quantity of extreme images which include bestiality.” The prosecutor said Bennett, a member of the Army Air Corps, had distributed the pictures using Yahoo and MSN Messenger. The court was closed for half an hour so the panel could view images and video clips. Bennett served tours in Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia as well as Iraq. He holds the Army’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. Peter Barlex, defending, said: “He is appalled by his behaviour. He will be shunned by the military community.” Judge Hunter told Bennett: “Some of these images were at the highest level and were of pre-pubescent children. This sentence will have a devastating effect on you.” The major was booted out of the Army, banned from working with children and put on the Sex Offenders Register. He may now be stripped of his medals.