A Croydon paedophile was today sentenced to 25 years for inciting and recording thousands of children engaging in sexual activity online.
Guilty: paedophile Robert Chown
A National Crime Agency investigation found that IT specialist Robert Chown, 49, captured photos and videos of the abuse and shared them with like-minded paedophiles.
Chown pleaded guilty to 41 charges at a previous court hearing and at Croydon Crown Court today he was sentenced to 25 years, with seven to be served on licence. Chown was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
The NCA today said that their investigation of Chown’s abuse found that it included children in Europe and America: “Work with our international partners in the FBI and Europol has been key” in securing the conviction, they said.
In April 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States launched an investigation into a private online messaging forum called “The Sanctuary”, which they found was dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children.
Chown was identified as a key contributor to the forum.
Upon joining the group in 2019, his introductory message read: “Preferences…girls 8-11”.
He went on to share hundreds of abuse images in the forum that he’d captured over years of sexually exploiting children online.
Chown also posted an indecent photo of a 12-year-old girl that he had taken in person. She was identified and safeguarded by the NCA and child protection services.
Online, he masqueraded as a teenage boy online to target thousands of children across the world.
Girls and boys as young as six years old were groomed by Chown to live stream sexual acts at his instruction, which he would capture and share with other paedophiles on the dark web.
NCA officers arrested Chown at his home in September 2023 and seized two mobile phones. Officers found more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children. They also discovered 204 entries on Google Translate of sexual instructions translated from English into Russian and Polish.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Phil Eccles said: “Chown poses a significant danger to children, and our thorough investigation exposed him as a prolific offender who carried out depraved sexual abuse over a number of years.
“While this case is extremely distressing, we hope it reassures the public of our commitment to unmasking paedophiles who think that can operate anonymously online.”
Robbie Weber of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Chown cannot be understated.
“Chown has himself admitted to having a long-term extreme interest in child sexual abuse imagery. He was a prolific presence on the dark web, gaining notoriety among likeminded individuals who would access and share such vile and indecent material.
“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. You are not alone and there is always help available.”
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