EPSOM COMPUTER WHIZ SIMON ROBINSON CAUGHT WITH THOUSANDS OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN BRISTOL

In April 2018, Simon Robinson, a renowned computer expert based in Epsom, was revealed to have a disturbing secret hidden behind his technological expertise. Despite his reputation as a leading researcher in artificial intelligence, Robinson's activities took a dark turn when he traveled to Bristol and used his advanced internet skills to access and download a vast collection of illegal images.

Police investigations uncovered that Robinson possessed an astonishing total of approximately 10 million photographs. Among this enormous collection, forensic analysis identified nearly 10,000 images classified as indecent, depicting children in various states of abuse. The court proceedings detailed the severity of his offenses, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material he had accumulated.

Simon Robinson, aged 52 and residing at Rosebank in Epsom, pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the possession of indecent images of children. Specifically, he admitted to possessing three images categorized under harm categories A, B, and C, which denote increasing levels of severity in child abuse imagery. Additionally, Robinson confessed to possessing a prohibited image that involved both adults and children, as well as material classified as extreme pornography involving bestiality.

Judge Mark Horton sentenced Robinson to 15 months in prison. Furthermore, he imposed a stringent ten-year sexual harm prevention order, which grants authorities unrestricted access to monitor Robinson’s computer activity to prevent further offenses. During the sentencing, Judge Horton delivered a stern warning, stating, “The children not only suffer from emotional damage caused, but the psychological effects of knowing such films and photographs remain as a permanent record of the abuse they have suffered, for others to feed their perverted desires such as you have, who viewed them in your secret, damaged, fantasy world.”

Prosecutor Chloe Griggs provided further details, revealing that out of the 9,903 indecent images found, the majority fell into the lowest abuse category, Category C. However, Robinson was also found with 42 images and 20 videos classified under the most severe abuse category, Category A. The court was informed that police typically investigate up to 10,000 images per case, highlighting the scale of Robinson’s illegal collection and the seriousness of his crimes.