LONG EATON PAEDOPHILE ROBERT BIRTWHISTLE SENTENCED FOR ONLINE GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Long Eaton, Robert Birtwhistle, a man with a troubling history of sexual offenses, has been sentenced to five years in prison for a series of disturbing crimes involving the grooming and sexual exploitation of underage girls.

Back in June 2011, Birtwhistle, who was 29 years old at the time, was found to have continued his predatory behavior despite being under supervision for previous offenses. He was actively searching for young girls on social networking platforms, establishing online relationships with them, and engaging in inappropriate and illegal activities. Most notably, he developed a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl, with whom he had sexual encounters.

At the time of these offenses, Birtwhistle was participating in a treatment program designed for sex offenders. This program was mandated following his conviction for downloading indecent images of children, which involved more than 200 child sex images. His initial conviction, handed down in September 2008, resulted in his registration on the sex offenders' register and a three-year community order. As part of this order, he was required to attend weekly meetings with a probation officer, aimed at monitoring and rehabilitating his behavior.

Despite these measures, Birtwhistle's conduct during the program was described by the court as a 'pretence.' The court heard that throughout his participation, he was secretly maintaining contact with young girls, including the 15-year-old with whom he later had a sexual relationship. The court was told that he was even trawling the internet for images of children while attending these sessions.

His criminal activities extended beyond online interactions. In May 2009, police arrested him and questioned him about his relationship with the 15-year-old girl. Although he was released on bail, he continued to meet her in person and attempted to persuade her not to testify against him. Further complicating his criminal record, in August of the same year, he made contact with another 15-year-old girl.

In March 2010, authorities seized Birtwhistle's computer, uncovering additional indecent images. He was taken into custody, and during his time in prison, he sent a letter to the 15-year-old girl he had been involved with, now aged 17, which was considered an attempt to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutor Sarah Knight confirmed that Birtwhistle had admitted to six charges of sexual activity with a child, two charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one charge of perverting the course of justice.

Following his conviction, Birtwhistle was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order, which explicitly prohibited him from contacting children via the internet. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.

During sentencing, Judge John Gosling described Birtwhistle as an intelligent man who was fully aware of his actions. The judge emphasized that Birtwhistle had groomed the girl 'in a measured way,' and criticized his apparent deception in pretending to comply with court orders while secretly pursuing his interests in children. The judge remarked that Birtwhistle's continued online searches for images of children, even before his arrest, demonstrated a disturbing pattern of behavior.

The victim, the 17-year-old girl, was present in court to witness Birtwhistle's sentencing. She expressed her relief and hope for continued police oversight, stating, 'I just hope that the police will always be around to keep an eye on him when he gets out of prison, so he cannot do this to anyone else. I feel relieved that everyone was there for me when I finally came to terms with it and realized it was wrong and now I feel I can move on with my life.'

Residing on College Street in Long Eaton, Birtwhistle was under supervision by Derbyshire Probation Service during the period he maintained his relationship with the teenage girl. His history with the two girls began when they were just 13 years old. His criminal activities first came to light in March 2008 when he was arrested in Southampton, where he was studying at university, for downloading indecent images of children. Despite his conviction, he continued to contact one of the girls, now 15, through texts and social media platforms like Facebook, exchanging explicit images.

Further investigations revealed that the girl’s father discovered emails between his daughter and Birtwhistle, revealing the extent of his manipulative behavior. Court evidence indicated that Birtwhistle had sex with the girl in his car parked in a church car park. The girl was reportedly infatuated with him, with emails discussing her running away with him once she turned 16. Her family also uncovered that Birtwhistle was advertising himself as a photographer seeking teenage girls on social networking sites like Bebo, where he had numerous friends described as 'young and petite.'

Following these revelations, the family reported Birtwhistle to the police, leading to his arrest. Detective Constable Cath Snipsides, who led the investigation, explained that the police had to sift through extensive phone records, computer data, and social media activity. She expressed satisfaction that Birtwhistle had admitted to his crimes and would now be subject to lifelong monitoring. She highlighted the profound impact his actions had on the girl’s life, stating, 'Her early teenage years have been stolen from her. It’s taken a long time to break that hold he had over her.'

In response to the case, Derbyshire Probation Trust defended its handling of Birtwhistle’s supervision. Spokesman John Allsop emphasized that sex offenders are often manipulative and devious, which makes monitoring challenging. He confirmed that Birtwhistle had been under ongoing supervision since his September 2009 sentencing, including weekly meetings with a probation officer and participation in a group program run by NSPCC staff, focusing on beliefs, attitudes, and strategies to prevent reoffending. Birtwhistle attended most of these sessions before his arrest prevented him from completing the program.

Legal representatives for Birtwhistle argued that, when first detained, he posed a danger to the public but claimed that he no longer did. Defense lawyer Dominic Shelley described Birtwhistle as having shown some remorse and taking responsibility for his actions, noting that he had been in custody for about seven or eight times and that his attitude had improved over time. Shelley also mentioned that Birtwhistle was working on a PhD thesis in prison and hoped to pursue archaeology work in Armenia upon his release.

Overall, the case underscores the ongoing threat posed by individuals like Birtwhistle, despite efforts at rehabilitation and supervision. The community of Long Eaton remains vigilant, and authorities continue to emphasize the importance of monitoring and preventing such predatory behavior to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and harm.