Dominic Osborne Robinson

A man from Colchester has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting to multiple charges related to indecent images of children and attempts to communicate sexually with minors.

Dominic Osborne Robinson, aged 34 and residing on Midway Road in Colchester, Essex, pleaded guilty to six offences at a previous hearing. These included three counts of making indecent photographs of children, two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child, and one count of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed. The case came to light following intelligence that Robinson was uploading indecent images of children and engaging in online conversations about child abuse.

On 28 January 2019, officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT) executed a warrant at Robinson’s home. Although the search occurred in Colchester, Robinson was arrested on the same day at his place of work in Portsmouth. During the operation, police seized three phones, a laptop, a tablet, and several cameras, which were subsequently analysed by a forensic computer examiner.

• The devices contained more than 1,000 images of child abuse, including category A images, which are classified as the most serious.
• Several videos categorised as A and B were also discovered.
• Evidence of sexualised communications with children was found.

The investigation revealed that Robinson was a habitual collector of such material for his own sexual gratification. In addition to the custodial sentence, he has been placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

DC Stephen Hill of Hampshire Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Team commented: “Behind every indecent image of a child is a vulnerable victim and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate. Robinson is a habitual collector of indecent images that include category A, the most serious kind, for his own sexual gratification. He was found to not only have been in possession of such images, but also actively sought to communicate with children. Tackling online viewing of indecent images and safeguarding children online is a priority for police and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

The sentencing was reported on 22 April 2021 by Dan Gooding for Greatest Hits Radio Essex, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat online child exploitation.