ROBERT MYHILL BRIGHTON FOOTBALL REFEREE ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
In a case that has shocked the local community, Robert Myhill, a football referee affiliated with the Sussex Football Association, was found to possess a significant collection of child sexual abuse images on his personal laptop.The incident came to light after his arrest in Brighton on February 10 of the previous year, leading to a series of legal proceedings that culminated in a plea of guilty on November 28.
Myhill, aged 32 and residing on Chatham Place in Brighton, was discovered to have stored over 400 indecent images of children on his device.
These images were categorized into different levels of severity according to the grading system used by authorities.
Among these, 156 photographs were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious nature of the images.
The remaining images included 121 in Category B and 125 in Category C, reflecting a range of severity but all involving illegal and exploitative content.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Myhill was spared immediate imprisonment.
Instead, he received a series of suspended sentences.
For the Category A images, he was sentenced to 11 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years, meaning he would not serve time unless he committed another offence within that period.
Similarly, for the Category B images, he received an eight-month sentence suspended for two years, and for the Category C images, a six-month sentence also suspended for two years.
In addition to the suspended sentences, Myhill is now subject to strict legal restrictions.
He has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for the next ten years, a measure that requires regular reporting and monitoring.
Furthermore, he is mandated to complete a 60-day sex offender treatment programme, designed to address and prevent harmful sexual behaviors by high-risk offenders.
He is also required to participate in a 20-day rehabilitation programme aimed at promoting healthier sexual functioning.
To further ensure public safety, a sexual harm prevention order has been imposed on Myhill for the next decade.
This order restricts his activities and movements, aiming to prevent any future offending behavior.
The police seized his laptop during his arrest, and he is required to apply for its return if he wishes to recover the device in the future.
The case has raised concerns about the presence of individuals involved in such crimes within the local community, especially those in positions of trust like a football referee.
