Adam James Robinson

Adam James Robinson, a 28-year-old resident of Southampton, has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing indecent images of a child and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The case, heard at Southampton Crown Court, highlights Robinson's repeated involvement in sexual offences against underage girls, building on his prior convictions in both the UK and the United States.

The investigation began in September 2016 when UK police received a tip-off from American authorities regarding Robinson's inappropriate online relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the US. At the time, Robinson was already serving a suspended sentence in America for admitting to having sex with an underage girl in 2013. Items were seized from his possession, and he was informed of the girl's age, leading to his initial arrest and subsequent release under investigation.

Ten months later, in July 2017, officers revisited Robinson and seized a computer, USB stick, and hard drive. Forensic examination revealed 65 indecent images of the same 14-year-old girl, including 21 Category A images—the most serious classification. Prosecutor Nick Saunders told the court that Robinson had accessed these images after his initial arrest, constituting a blatant breach of the SHPO imposed in 2014 following a voyeurism conviction. In that earlier UK case, Robinson had rigged a camera to record a semi-naked 13-year-old girl he was infatuated with, resulting in a four-month prison sentence.

• Robinson attempted to conceal the images by using a hard drive that required a separate USB stick to access.
• The SHPO breach was aggravated by his previous convictions and deliberate cover-up efforts.

In mitigation, defence barrister Damian Hayes argued that Robinson had not committed any offences since his 2017 arrest and had initially ceased contact with the girl. However, he resumed communication after she sent messages and handwritten notes expressing distress over the break and threatening self-harm. Hayes also noted Robinson's diagnoses of autism, depression, and anxiety.

Judge Gary Burrell QC, sentencing Robinson on an unspecified date in October 2019, remarked: "You are not an unintelligent young man, in fact quite the reverse. This was a blatant breach and you must have known what you were doing. It is aggravated by your previous convictions and by the fact you tried to cover up what you were doing." Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of breaching the SHPO and three counts of possessing indecent images of a child.

This case was reported by the Daily Echo on 29th October 2019, drawing on information from Southampton Crown Court proceedings and prior coverage of Robinson's history. It underscores ongoing monitoring challenges for individuals under SHPOs with international ties.