Wade Robinson

A Devon man, Wade Robinson, aged 31 and of no fixed abode but with links to Tiverton and Exeter, has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for child sex abuse offences. The case, investigated by Devon & Cornwall Police, involved both the possession of extreme child abuse material and direct sexual assaults on a young victim.

The investigation began after officers linked Robinson to an online account following the upload of a child abuse image to a website. In 2022, police executed a warrant at an address in Exeter. Upon their arrival, Robinson fled the property by jumping out of a garden window and attempted to discard his phone by throwing it over a neighbouring fence. Officers detained him in the garden, recovered the phone from the neighbour's lawn, and arrested him. Despite Robinson refusing to provide the PIN, the digital forensics team accessed the device and discovered more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse, including Category A material, which is considered the most serious in nature.

Following his arrest, a victim came forward and disclosed that she had been abused by Robinson during her childhood. Examination of the images on his phone confirmed several depicted the victim. Detectives built a robust case with professional analysis, providing evidential material to the Crown Prosecution Service and securing eight charges: five counts of possession of online child abuse images and three counts relating to the sexual assault of a child. Robinson pleaded guilty in November 2024, sparing the victim from testifying in court.

At sentencing, Robinson refused to leave his cell or appear via video link. Judge Adkin remarked: 'He has refused to engage with the court and is not on the video link and is clearly an individual who doesn’t have the courage to face up to the fact he has committed these incidents of utter depravity.' In addition to the custodial sentence, Robinson must serve three-and-a-half years on licence upon release and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Alex Powe, who led the investigation, stated: 'Viewing child abuse material and engaging in criminal activity such as this is inexcusable, and we will work tirelessly to pursue and apprehend such offenders. This investigation showcases the importance of building a strong case through tenacious work providing as much evidence as possible leaving the offender little alternative other than to plead guilty.' The source for this information is the official Devon & Cornwall Police news release.