Nigel Roberts, a 66-year-old resident of Palmyra Square in Bewsey, Warrington, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming online. The incident unfolded on 8 June 2023, when Roberts arrived at Riverside Retail Park in Warrington, believing he was meeting a 14-year-old boy he had been communicating with on the Grindr app.
The court heard that Roberts had initiated contact with the profile the previous day, sending images of sex toys, including a dildo, and expressing his desire to use them on the supposed boy. When informed by the decoy account that they were 'much younger than him', Roberts responded that it 'didn’t matter as long as they liked each other'. He proceeded to discuss his sexual experiences with the '14-year-old', stating, 'Some of the stuff I have done would scare anyone off,' and adding, 'That’s the way you learn.' Roberts then arranged to meet at the McDonald’s in the retail park.
Upon arrival, Roberts was arrested by undercover police officers operating the decoy account. As he was taken into custody, he claimed, 'I thought I was meeting someone normal,' and insisted, 'I was looking for friendship.' A search of his car and home in Bewsey found no physical sex toys, but his electronic devices were seized and analysed. The examination revealed depraved internet searches, including terms related to bestiality and 'little boy’s dirty underwear'. Indecent images of children were also discovered: 11 category C, seven category B, and one category A image depicting the most severe form of abuse involving child rape. Additionally, more than 65 extreme pornographic images portraying obscene sexual acts likely to cause serious genital injury were found on his devices.
Roberts, who has three previous convictions for six offences, appeared before Judge Louise Brandon at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. Defending barrister Paul Evans informed the court that Roberts now accepts his sexual interest in children, having initially denied it. Evans noted Roberts' personal circumstances, including the death of his partner in 2020, which led to a 'loss of stability', and his current solitary living situation compounded by medical issues such as mobility problems and arthritis. Through his barrister, Roberts expressed a desire to change, stating he 'wants to prove that he has changed' and is 'very keen to say to the court that he will do everything the court requires of him'.
The judge expressed her dilemma in sentencing, saying, 'I have struggled with this decision. If I send you into custody today, you would serve a short term and no meaningful work would be done with you.' Ultimately, Roberts received an 18-month imprisonment sentence, suspended for two years. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years, subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years, and required to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days, the Building Choices programme, and the Creating Positive Connections toolkit. As he left the dock, Roberts said, 'Thank you very much for your time,' to which Judge Brandon replied, 'Don’t let anybody down.'
The case was reported by the Warrington Guardian, highlighting Roberts' actions as part of broader efforts by Cheshire Police to combat online child sexual exploitation through decoy operations.