In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Richard Cabena, then 42, was jailed for a predatory campaign of online grooming. Appearing at Perth Sheriff Court, Perthshire, Cabena, of Balrigar, Kinloch, near Blairgowrie, was handed a 20-month custodial sentence. The court reported that the defendant, a call handler who is confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida, used digital deception to target and exploit underage girls.
The investigation established that Cabena struck up friendships with two schoolgirls using false identities. In one instance, he claimed to be 14 years old to groom a 12-year-old girl, eventually persuading her to send him revealing photographs. He also targeted a 15-year-old girl on Facebook, pretending to be 18. During a Skype call, he dared the teenager to pull down her pyjama zipper and touch herself over her clothing. Throughout these interactions, he convinced his victims to turn on their laptop cameras while claiming his own was broken to maintain his anonymity.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Cabena’s actions involved significant deception aimed at forcing girls to expose themselves in a “distressing, humiliating and alarming” way. Perth Sheriff Court heard that Sheriff William Wood had specifically deferred the sentence to ensure the prison service could accommodate Cabena’s physical disabilities. Ultimately, the Sheriff ruled that the seriousness of the charges warranted a custodial sentence despite the defendant’s health condition.
The judge noted that the use of multiple platforms, including Facebook and Skype, demonstrated a calculated effort to bypass the victims’ boundaries. For his actions in Kinloch, Perthshire, the court ordered the forfeiture of his computer equipment used to facilitate the abuse. The prosecution reported that Cabena’s ability to manipulate children by pretending to be their peer made him a significant danger to the public.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Scotland, Richard Cabena was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 20 months in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for 10 years.
- Asset Forfeiture: Permanent confiscation of his computer.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court for serious sexual offences involving minors.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Cabena is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland and the prison estate. Due to the nature of the grooming and the use of webcam technology in Kinloch, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Cabena must comply with notification requirements regarding any future residence in Kinloch, Blairgowrie, for the duration of his term. Authorities state that his history of posing as a teenager online necessitates permanent monitoring of his internet-enabled devices and social media activity. Any breach of his registration conditions or future licence terms will result in immediate arrest and a return to Perth Sheriff Court.
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