In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that 47-year-old Roy Tarbuck—of Ruan Minor on the Lizard Peninsula—avoided a prison sentence after being caught with hundreds of videos showing the abuse of children. The investigation established that police arrested Tarbuck at his workplace in October 2018 after receiving intelligence regarding his online activity. The prosecution reported at Truro Crown Court that subsequent searches of Tarbuck’s home uncovered a laptop and computer containing 110 Category A movies—the most severe classification—alongside Category B and C files.
The investigation established that Tarbuck utilized anti-forensic software in a calculated attempt to make his collection inaccessible to authorities. The prosecution reported that forensic analysis showed Tarbuck had repeatedly downloaded the same collection on eight separate occasions, while simultaneously attempting to delete and screen away the footage to evade detection. Among the recovered media was a video of a child under the age of nine being raped, which the judge noted depicted a victim in significant distress and pain.
Judicial Findings and Sentencing
The court reported that Tarbuck, a father of two with no previous convictions, wept in the dock as the details of his depravity were read aloud. The investigation established that while Judge Robert Linford condemned the sexual gratification Tarbuck derived from the suffering of children, he cited a Court of Appeal ruling regarding first-time offenders. The prosecution reported that because Tarbuck pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had sought professional help, the court determined there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
Judge-led proceedings concluded with Tarbuck being handed a two-year community order rather than a custodial sentence. For his actions in Ruan Minor and across the Lizard Peninsula and the nature of the child abuse images reported, he was also made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The judge noted that the SHPO is a necessary measure to monitor Tarbuck’s digital behaviour and ensure he remains under the supervision of the authorities.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Truro Crown Court in 2020:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Making indecent images of children x3; Category A, B, and C).
- Custodial Status: NON-CUSTODIAL (24-month community order with rehabilitation requirements).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were active for 5 YEARS (Set to conclude in 2025, pending any further offending).
- SHPO Status: Active for 5 YEARS (Mandating strict monitoring of all internet-capable devices).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Truro Crown Court; investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police.
- Criminal Record: Caught with 110 Category A movies including child rape; Used anti-forensic software to hide his strikes; Downloaded the same abuse collection eight times; Avoided jail as a first-time offender.
- Origin: Ruan Minor, Helston, Cornwall.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Tarbuck was managed under the statutory requirements of the Devon and Cornwall Probation Service during the completion of his community order. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his technical attempts to conceal “vile” movies of toddlers being abused—he was a priority for digital forensic monitoring. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensures Tarbuck’s details are logged on the national police database, providing a permanent safeguard for the public during any future safeguarding checks.
As a registered sex offender, his details were subject to police oversight. Authorities state that Tarbuck’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own gratification over the safety and human rights of children. Any failure by Tarbuck to adhere to his notification requirements or his five-year SHPO in Ruan Minor or elsewhere would result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used “Anti-Forensic Software” to hide child rape videos, do you believe that the possession of such encryption tools by a registered sex offender should legally trigger an automatic and immediate prison sentence?
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