ROBERT NORMAN FROM PETERBOROUGH SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR CHILD INDECENCY IMAGES AND SEXUAL OFFENSES

A man identified as Robert Norman, aged 41, has been sentenced to a decade in prison after being found guilty of possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The case unfolded following a police operation in Peterborough, where authorities took action after receiving credible information regarding Norman's online activities.

Norman was apprehended at his residence on Drybread Road, Whittlesey, in January of the previous year. During the arrest, law enforcement officers seized two Samsung mobile phones along with a hard drive. A detailed forensic examination revealed that these devices contained a total of 1,716 indecent images depicting minors. The investigation uncovered that Norman had been actively involved in sharing and viewing such illicit material, which is a serious criminal offense.

Further scrutiny of the devices uncovered disturbing evidence of Norman engaging in sexually explicit conversations with an individual he believed to be a ten-year-old girl. It was also discovered that he had shared her contact details with other individuals who were potential sex offenders, raising significant concerns about his intentions and the safety of children.

Norman's criminal record includes a prior conviction for similar offenses, which led to the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in 2015. Despite this, he repeatedly violated the terms of this order. Notably, he failed to disclose the existence of one of his Samsung phones capable of internet access, which he had hidden beneath a pillowcase. He also handed over another phone to authorities, but not before deleting web browsing history from all devices, an act that further breached the conditions of his order.

In addition to these breaches, Norman failed to update authorities with new online usernames, which is a requirement under the Sex Offender Register Notification Requirements. His attempts to communicate sexually with the supposed young girl online, and subsequent efforts to erase evidence of such activity, demonstrated a blatant disregard for legal restrictions and the safety of minors.

On January 31, at Cambridge Crown Court, Norman pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, one count of failing to notify authorities of new online identities, and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor. The court sentenced him to ten years in prison, emphasizing the severity of his offenses.

DC Claire Cummings commented on the case, stating, “Norman is a very dangerous prolific offender; he is a complete danger to children as well as the wider community and he has complete disregard for the law by continuously breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. I am pleased with the sentence which Norman received, this sends out a clear message that we will look to protect children and the vulnerable from harm.”