In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that 53-year-old Robin Doherty was jailed for hoarding and file-sharing over a thousand indecent images of children. Following proceedings at Bradford Crown Court, the defendant—of Parkwood Court, Keighley, West Yorkshire—pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent photographs and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child. It was reported that Doherty used digital masking techniques to hide his IP address while storing and distributing footage of men having sex with children as young as four.
The investigation established that in May 2018, police forced entry into Doherty’s then address in Crosley Wood Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire, seizing computers and memory sticks. When the defendant arrived at the scene, officers confiscated his phone, which also contained child abuse material. The prosecution reported that the hoard consisted of 69 Category A, 51 Category B, and 1,178 Category C images, including still and moving files of children aged between four and 16.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Doherty was a persistent offender who was in breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order imposed at Leeds Crown Court in 2010. Bradford Crown Court, West Yorkshire, heard that the defendant had previously run a photographic studio in Brook Street, Ilkley, where he manipulated teenage girls into posing for indecent shots. The investigation established that Doherty had even negotiated with children as young as 13 to record sexual acts for cash, offering up to £1,000 per session.
Judge Jonathan Rose presided over the sentencing in 2019, where the court expressed disgust at the defendant’s continued offending despite previous treatment in prison. For his actions in Keighley, Bingley, and Ilkley, West Yorkshire, Doherty was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. The judge noted that the defendant had used various devices to facilitate his “horrifying” crimes and had failed to heed the warnings of previous custodial terms, continuing to seek out and share images of the most extreme nature.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the crimes reported in England, the status of Robin Doherty as of March 2026 was as follows:
- Custodial Sentence: 2 years and 8 months (Sentenced 2019).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active indefinitely.
- SHPO Status: Sexual Harm Prevention Order active without limit of time (Indefinite).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Bradford Crown Court, following a West Yorkshire Police investigation.
- Criminal Record: Making indecent photographs (3 counts); Possession of a prohibited image; Distribution of child abuse material.
- Origin: Keighley, West Yorkshire; formerly of Bingley and Ilkley.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Doherty is managed as a high-risk repeat offender within the West Yorkshire area. Due to the nature of his conduct, which involves high-level technical evasion and a history of utilizing a professional photography business to groom and exploit minors, his management is a maximum priority. Authorities state that his background in soliciting children for sexual recordings requires the most intensive level of digital forensic monitoring by the West Yorkshire Police Public Protection Unit.
As a registered sex offender indefinitely, Doherty’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his behaviour demonstrated a persistent and calculated predatory fixation on young children. Any failure to comply with his notification requirements, any attempt to acquire photographic equipment, or any presence near schools or youth centres in Keighley, Bingley, or Ilkley will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the community.
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