Robert Mills

Robert Mills, a 48-year-old resident of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, has been returned to prison following a serious breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Mills, previously convicted in 2017 for possessing 5,879 indecent images of children found at his home in Bassingbourn, was originally sentenced to three years in jail, placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, and issued with an SHPO to manage his risks to the public, particularly children.

The recent breach occurred after Mills began messaging a woman in the summer of 2021. By September 2021, the woman and her young son were regularly staying at Mills' home in Burberry Court, Littleport. Under the terms of his SHPO, Mills was required to notify police of any such arrangements involving children and to disclose his sex offender status. He failed to do so, allowing the woman and child into his home without their knowledge of his criminal history. The breach came to light on 22 September 2021 when the woman discovered Mills' previous convictions and contacted Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday, 17 March 2022, Mills admitted to breaching the SHPO and failing to comply with Sex Offenders Register requirements. The court heard that Mills had 'blatantly ignored' the order's conditions in an attempt to conceal his actions from authorities. He was sentenced to an additional two years and four months in prison. The case was prosecuted by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, with Detective Constable Andrew McKeane commenting on the incident: 'Mills was fully aware of the obligations of his SHPO and the notification requirements but chose to blatantly ignore them in the hope police would not find out. Thankfully the woman was able to confirm to police that the child had at no point been left alone in his company.'

DC McKeane further emphasised the importance of public awareness and disclosure schemes, referencing Sarah's Law, which enables individuals to check if someone with access to children poses a risk. This incident underscores the ongoing enforcement of protective measures against convicted sex offenders to safeguard vulnerable individuals, particularly children, in the community.