Paul Roberts

Paul Roberts, a 62-year-old resident of Ashwood Avenue in Wordsley, was sentenced to 14 years in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 27 March for a series of serious sexual offences against children. The case came to light after one of his victims, a woman in her 30s who cannot be named for legal reasons, bravely reported the abuse to the police, leading to Roberts' arrest and subsequent trial.

Roberts was found guilty of eleven counts, which included gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14, indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16, gross indecency with a girl under 14, two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16, gross indecency with a girl under 16 years of age, three counts of causing a child under 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity without penetration, and assault on a boy under 13 by touching. These offences involved the manipulation and sexual exploitation of young children, ruining the lives of multiple victims.

The victim who spoke out described the profound impact of Roberts' actions, stating, 'He ruined my life. I'm in a better place now, but I carried it with me a long time before I spoke out. The manipulation stays with you and the fear of speaking out. You just think is anyone going to believe me - you ask yourself 'why me?' I didn't realise there were other victims.' She expressed relief at the sentencing, noting, 'You never know what's going to happen and hope you will get justice. I think we got a good sentence. It's been a strange five years since I came forward - there's been waves of police investigating and getting in touch - then it all goes quiet for a while and you put it to the back of your head - you constantly get waves of reliving it. I have good days and bad days, but we have justice and we know he can't hurt other children now.'

West Midlands Police released an image of Roberts following the sentencing on 20 April, highlighting the importance of victims coming forward. The force commended the victim's courage, which enabled the investigation that uncovered Roberts' pattern of abuse against multiple children. This case underscores the ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable young people from sexual predators in the community.