Croydon paedophile jailed 25 years for grooming thousands of children online
Robert Chown, 49, posed as a teenage boy to sexually abuse children as young as six worldwide. He was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court after pleading guilty to 41 charges.
IT specialist used fake teen persona to exploit children across the world
The National Crime Agency (nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk) has secured a 25-year prison sentence against Robert Chown, 49, an IT specialist from Croydon who groomed and sexually abused thousands of children online over several years.
Chown was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on 3 October after pleading guilty to 41 charges at a previous hearing. Seven years of his sentence will be served on licence. He was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Masquerading as a teenage boy, Chown targeted children — girls and boys as young as six — across the world, directing them via live stream to perform sexual acts which he recorded and distributed to other offenders on a platform known as 'The Sanctuary' and across the dark web.
Chown joined the private online messaging forum in 2019. His introductory message referenced his approach to targeting children, and he went on to share hundreds of abuse images he had accumulated over years of exploitation. He also posted an indecent photograph of a 12-year-old girl he had taken in person; she was subsequently identified and safeguarded by the NCA and child protection services.
The investigation was initiated in April 2022, when the FBI launched an inquiry into the forum, which was dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children. Chown was identified as a key contributor and linked to the username 'FredHasFiveToes'.
NCA officers arrested Chown at his south London home in September 2023 and seized two mobile phones. Examination of both devices uncovered more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children across categories A to C. Investigators also found 204 entries in Google Translate consisting of sexual instructions translated from English into Russian and Polish — phrases Chown had used during live streams to direct children around the world.
In interview, Chown admitted to adopting the persona of a teenage boy online to watch and direct live streams involving children.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Phil Eccles said Chown "poses a significant danger to children" and described him as "a prolific offender who carried out depraved sexual abuse over a number of years." Eccles added that collaboration with the FBI and Europol had been central to the investigation.
Robbie Weber of the Crown Prosecution Service said the "lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Chown cannot be understated," describing Chown as "a key player in coercing children to engage in being filmed or photographed committing non-consensual sexual acts." Weber said the conviction and sentence were intended to send a clear message that the CPS would "continue to relentlessly prosecute and pursue justice for those who sexually exploit children."
Weber also urged any victims of child sexual abuse or sexual violence to report crimes to the police, stating: "You are not alone and there is always help available."
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)