ROBERT HENDERSON: PENZANCE & TRURO SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

In August 2023, Robert Henderson, a convicted sex offender residing in Eastern Green, Penzance, faced legal proceedings at Truro Magistrates' Court concerning his failure to adhere to the strict requirements of the sex offenders register. Henderson, aged 54, appeared before magistrates on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, to answer to two counts of non-compliance with the notification obligations mandated by law for registered sex offenders.

These offences spanned from September 2019 to June 2023, during which Henderson neglected to inform authorities of changes to his passport details within the required three-day window. Additionally, he failed to notify police at least seven days prior to international travel or within three days of returning to the UK, contravening the legal stipulations designed to monitor sex offenders' movements and whereabouts.

Henderson did not contest the charges, entering a guilty plea to both counts. The court, taking into account his admissions, sentenced him to a community order. As part of this order, Henderson is required to adhere to an electronically monitored curfew, restricting his movements to his home between 8 pm and 7 am for a duration of eight weeks. Furthermore, he must participate in a rehabilitation activity under the supervision of a designated officer, with the program lasting up to 50 days.

In addition to the community order, Henderson was ordered to pay costs amounting to £80 and a victim surcharge of £114. These financial penalties are standard in cases involving breaches of registration requirements, aimed at supporting victim services and administrative costs.

Henderson's criminal history is extensive and troubling. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for previous sexual offences. Court records reveal that Henderson has a long-standing pattern of offending, with convictions dating back to the early 1990s in the UK, specifically in 1991 and 1993, involving sexual offences against boys. His criminal record also includes convictions in Germany in 2008 and 2011, where he was found guilty of raping a boy aged between 8 and 11, as well as engaging in sexual activity with a 7-year-old boy.

Further details of his past crimes include admissions to two counts of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child, and two counts of buggery related to a victim between 1989 and 1992. He also pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a second boy between 1991 and 1993. These offences highlight a disturbing pattern of predatory behaviour spanning multiple countries and decades.

In a separate but related case in June 2014, Henderson's past crimes were described as having a lasting impact on his victims. One young man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted how Henderson, then aged 45 and residing in Berlin, groomed and sexually assaulted him from the age of five during the early 1990s. The victim described Henderson buying him Cokes and ice cream before inappropriately touching him, and later, Henderson had engaged in penetrative sex with him, which the victim found extremely distressing.

The victim, now in his late twenties, came forward in 2008 after confiding in a youth worker about his experiences. His report led to Henderson's extradition from Germany under a European arrest warrant. The court heard that Henderson had also indecently assaulted another boy aged 10 and 11 during the same period.

Prosecutor David Sapiecha emphasized the profound and lasting trauma inflicted on Henderson’s victims. He stated that the first victim continues to struggle with the memories, describing them as haunting and persistent. The second victim reportedly faces ongoing difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships, illustrating the deep psychological scars left by Henderson’s actions.

Judge Nicholas Rowland, presiding over Henderson’s sentencing, highlighted the aggravating factors of the case, notably Henderson’s grooming of vulnerable children and the extreme youth of one of his victims. The court’s decision to sentence Henderson to over nine years in prison reflects the severity of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to society.