In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Scott Horsburgh, then 21, of Radstock, Somerset, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. On Wednesday, 15 May 2019, Horsburgh appeared at Bristol Crown Court, where he was described by the judge as a “persistent, predatory and exploitative paedophile” who used social media as a weapon against children.
The investigation established that Horsburgh was caught in a sting operation by an undercover police officer posing as the father of a nine-year-old girl. Using the username “Boy For All” on an online chatroom, Horsburgh initiated contact and discussed “squalid” sexual acts he wished to perform on the child. The prosecution reported that he meticulously arranged to meet the officer at the Centurion Hotel in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, believing he would be given access to the girl in a hotel room. He was arrested by officers as he approached the hotel reception on 17 April 2019.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that while this was Horsburgh’s first criminal conviction, he had a “reprehensible” history of police cautions for sexual offences dating back to 2012. These included exposing and inciting children under 13 to engage in sexual activity. His Honour Judge Horton noted that despite significant intervention from social services and the police, Horsburgh continued to seek out children aged between 6 and 14 on websites such as “Chat Hour” and “Kids’ Chat.”
The judge noted that Horsburgh acted with “determination and sophistication,” creating a false web of information to bypass safeguarding measures. Although the defence highlighted his own history of childhood abuse and his early guilty plea, the judge noted that Horsburgh remained an imminent and “serious” risk to the community. The prosecution emphasised that the defendant had previously been removed from a household due to his sexual behaviour toward two children in that home, further demonstrating a deep-seated pattern of offending.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Scott Horsburgh was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Four years and three months in prison.
- Parole Requirement: Must serve half the term in custody before being released on licence.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- SHPO: Made subject to a further Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- Barring List: Permanently prohibited from working with children or vulnerable adults.
- Convictions: Admitted to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a prior SHPO.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Horsburgh is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Avon and Somerset Police and the Probation Service. Due to his “serious” and persistent interest in young children of both sexes, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a lifetime member of the Sex Offenders Register, Horsburgh must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his residence in Radstock, Somerset. Authorities state that his release on licence will be subject to strict conditions, including mandatory attendance at rehabilitation courses. Any breach of his registration, his SHPO, or his licence terms will result in his immediate arrest and return to Bristol Crown Court.
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