In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that 69-year-old Robert Siddall avoided an immediate prison sentence after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the second time. Siddall—of Wervin Caravan Park, Chester—pleaded guilty to using Facebook Messenger, an app he was strictly prohibited from accessing under an order made by Caernarfon Crown Court in 2016. It was reported that the breach was discovered during a routine offender management visit by Cheshire Police in October 2025.
The investigation established that Siddall has a predatory history spanning over three decades. Chester Magistrates’ Court heard that in 1991, he was jailed for 18 months for the indecent assault of a 16-year-old girl and gross indecency with a child. The prosecution reported that in 2016, he received a further sentence of three years and four months for making, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children as young as four, including material depicting bestiality.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that forensic analysis of Siddall’s previous devices uncovered “depraved” search terms, including “nudist girls” and “0-5 girls.” During the 2026 sentencing hearing, the defence claimed that Siddall had only used the Facebook platform to buy and sell items on Marketplace and had “accidentally” accessed the forbidden Messenger app. The investigation established that while there was no direct evidence of new illicit conversations, the risk of “other behaviour” remained a significant concern for the authorities.
Deputy District Judge Katherine Harney presided over the sentencing on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, noting that while the custody threshold had been passed, she would offer a final chance for rehabilitation. For his actions in Chester and Wervin, Siddall was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. The judge noted that although his extensive record weighed against him, his engagement with the probation service and “gaps” in his offending history allowed for a suspended term involving 150 hours of unpaid work.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Cheshire, the status of Robert Siddall as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SUSPENDED SENTENCE 2026 (6 months suspended for 18 months).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order active (Modified 2016).
- Rehabilitation: Ordered to complete 20 activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work.
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Chester Magistrates’ Court; monitored by Cheshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Indecent assault (1991); Making/distributing child abuse images (2016); Multiple SHPO breaches.
- Origin: Wervin Caravan Park, Chester, Cheshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Siddall is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Chester area. Due to the nature of his conduct—which includes searching for infants as young as “0-5” and a history of distributing the most extreme categories of abuse—his management is a maximum priority for the local Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his use of social media platforms, even for “Marketplace” transactions, provides a technical gateway that he has already proven he cannot be trusted to use legally.
As a registered sex offender for life, Siddall’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his 18-month suspended sentence serves as a “final warning”; any further unauthorized use of messaging apps, any failure to disclose new digital devices, or any presence near areas frequented by children in Chester will result in his immediate incarceration. His residency at Wervin Caravan Park remains under active police surveillance to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of predatory digital behaviour.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was found searching for “0-5 girls” and has now breached his court order for a second time, do you believe that “Suspended Sentences” should be legally abolished for any registered sex offender who violates their digital restrictions?
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