ROBET TWAITES AND HIS SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENDER ACTIVITIES IN LANCASHIRE
A man from Ingleton, Lancashire, named Robert Twaites, has been sentenced to four years in prison following his repeat offending behavior involving child exploitation and abuse.The conviction comes after Twaites was caught for the second time by a dedicated group of paedophile hunters, highlighting the concerning pattern of his dangerous activities.
In 2018, Twaites had already been subject to a community order that mandated his participation in a specialized sex offender rehabilitation program.
Despite this prior intervention, he continued to pose a serious threat.
On Monday, Bradford Crown Court heard the detailed circumstances of his latest offenses, which involved his online interactions with decoys posing as underage girls aged 13 and 14.
During these encounters, Twaites engaged in sexually explicit conversations and attempted to arrange physical meetings with the decoys.
The court was informed that even after completing the Horizon Programme, a rehabilitation scheme designed for sex offenders, Twaites was found back online earlier this year, specifically in January, actively trying to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity.
Prosecutor Philip Standfast outlined to the court that Twaites expressed interest in going on dates and even offered to buy gifts for the decoy.
He suggested they could meet "in the woods," an indication of his intent to carry out a sexual encounter.
However, Twaites’s plans were thwarted when he failed to show up at the agreed meeting time.
Members of the paedophile hunter group, who had been monitoring his online activities, confronted him directly at his residence in New Village, Ingleton.
The confrontation was followed by the police being contacted for official intervention.
Upon his arrest and examination of his mobile phone, authorities discovered images that were underage child sexual abuse material, confirming his possession of prohibited images involving children.
Twaites, who is 33 years old, pleaded guilty to charges related to attempting to incite sexual activity with a child and engaging in sexual communication with a minor.
His legal representative, Julian White, described Twaites’s behavior as self-destructive and bewildering, emphasizing that he had undergone the necessary rehabilitative measures without success, yet continued to offend in a similar manner.
White also remarked that Twaites was an isolated, lonely individual.
Standing before the court, Judge Sophie McKone stated that despite Twaites’s denial of any sexual interest, the evidence suggested otherwise.
The judge emphasized that Twaites posed a high risk of causing serious harm to children and made it clear that if real children had been involved, he would have gone through with the abuse.
Recognizing the severity of his actions, Judge McKone sentenced him to four years imprisonment.
Additionally, she imposed a two-year extended license period, under which Twaites will be monitored after his release.
His parole eligibility will only be considered after he serves at least two-thirds of his sentence, contingent upon the parole board’s assessment of his risk level.
Furthermore, Twaites is now required to register as a sex offender for life and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which is designed to restrict and monitor his activities to prevent future offenses.
His case underscores the persistent danger posed by individuals like Twaites, even after intervention and rehabilitation efforts, and highlights ongoing concerns about online child exploitation in Lancashire.
