In 2021, the Offender Database reported that Robert Walker, then 54, of Eastfield Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to two years in prison. On 21 May 2021, Walker appeared at Cambridge Crown Court after repeatedly violating the terms of the court order designed to monitor his digital activity.
The investigation established that Walker was originally placed on the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2020 for making and possessing indecent images of children. In December 2020, officers conducted an unannounced visit to his home and discovered that he had installed Snapchat, an application that automatically deletes data, thereby directly breaching his requirement to retain internet history. Officers also found that he was using other social media sites to message individuals in a sexual manner.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that during the police visit, Walker admitted to purchasing an Xbox but subsequently failed to register his new username with the police within the mandatory three-day window. When officers arrested him on 13 December 2020 for this failure, they discovered a second “secret” mobile phone that he had also failed to disclose. The prosecution emphasised that Walker was fully aware of his obligations but deliberately chose to bypass them to maintain unmonitored access to the internet and messaging platforms.
DC Sian Thomas emphasised that this case highlights the critical importance of the monitoring system for registered sex offenders. The judge emphasised that the repeated breaches of the SHPO and the Sex Offenders Register requirements demonstrated a clear disregard for court-imposed restrictions. For his crimes in Peterborough, the court determined that an immediate custodial sentence was the only way to address his continued efforts to hide his digital behaviour from authorities.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Cambridgeshire, Robert Walker was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Two years in immediate custody.
- SHPO: The existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order remains in place to restrict and monitor internet use.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were extended.
- Convictions: Admitted two counts of breaching an SHPO and failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Walker is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. His history of possessing child abuse material, combined with his persistent attempts to use secret devices and data-deleting apps, means he remains under stringent scrutiny by authorities in Peterborough.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Walker must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Eastfield Road, Peterborough. Authorities state that his risk management involves regular, unannounced digital forensic checks to ensure compliance with his SHPO. Any further breach of his registration conditions or his licence terms following his release from prison will result in his immediate return to Cambridge Crown Court.
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