ROBERT BOYD'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN PLYMOUTH: PENSIONER'S SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON CHILDREN

In August 2018, a disturbing case emerged from Plymouth involving Robert Boyd, a 70-year-old pensioner whose actions have left a community shaken and a family devastated. Boyd was found guilty of multiple heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of young girls, including acts of assault, grooming, and the creation of indecent images, all committed within the Plymouth area.

According to court proceedings, Boyd engaged in sexual misconduct with a girl aged six or seven, twice touching her in bed during separate incidents. The court heard that he rubbed her leg, inserted his fingers between her legs, and kissed her while she was fully clothed. The young girl, who was asleep at the time, was actually awake and frightened, yet Boyd believed she was unaware of his actions. These acts took place over two separate occasions, with Boyd attempting to groom her during these encounters.

The victim’s mother expressed her profound disgust and anger in a statement read aloud in court. She described her feelings of revulsion towards Boyd’s actions and revealed her intense desire for justice, stating, “I felt disgusted about what he had done and wanted him to drop dead. This will haunt me for the rest of my life.” She also shared the emotional toll the abuse had taken on her daughter, who struggled with self-harm and found it difficult to cope at school. Her mother recounted how her daughter had bottled up her trauma for years until police intervention finally brought the abuse to light.

Further details revealed that Boyd had secretly filmed another girl’s crotch area, an act that added to the severity of his crimes. The police investigation was triggered when Boyd was caught filming a third girl playing, prompting her family to contact authorities. Police subsequently discovered images of Boyd touching the first girl over her clothing, as well as indecent images of an eight-year-old girl, which Boyd had produced and kept. These images included Category B and Category C indecent photographs, with Boyd admitting to creating these illicit images during the same period.

Boyd’s arrest followed suspicion that he was filming a girl in November of the previous year. Police found explicit images of the girl on his computer, along with photographs of the other victim. Boyd pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on the girl, as well as to making indecent images of her and producing indecent images of the second girl. His crimes spanned over 2008 and 2009, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.

During the sentencing, Judge Paul Darlow described Boyd’s actions as deeply troubling, emphasizing the vulnerability of the young victims. He stated, “This concerned a child aged six or seven and the behaviour complained of included, it seems, rubbing her leg and inserting your fingers between her legs and kissing her while she was fully clothed. You thought she was sleeping but she was awake and scared about what was happening. There was an element of grooming and we are dealing with two separate occasions.”

The families of the victims expressed their relief and satisfaction with the sentence, which was handed down to Boyd as two years and four months in prison. The great-grandmother of the girl who was assaulted expressed her hope that Boyd would face the consequences of his actions, saying, “I hope he rots in there. This is justice.” The mother of the abused girl, visibly emotional, told the court that the police intervention was a turning point for her family. She described her heartbreak upon seeing her daughter break down and speak about the abuse, and she expressed her anger and disgust at Boyd’s actions, emphasizing the lasting impact on her family.

She also highlighted the long-term trauma inflicted on her daughter, who had self-harmed and struggled academically. The mother expressed her disbelief and revulsion at Boyd’s conduct, stating, “No words can describe how that makes me feel. I struggle to understand and don’t fully understand why anyone would want to do that to a young child. He is a vulgar man and I truly think that he is disgusting.” The case has left a lasting scar on the community and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and justice in protecting vulnerable children from predators like Robert Boyd.