He was originally spared prison after being snared by an online group targeting sexual predators but did not learn his lesson, a court heard
Robert Cornwall has been jailed(Image: Hull Live)
A young online pervert who was spared prison after exchanging explicit messages and pictures with a ’14-year-old girl’ has finally been jailed after shamelessly doing the same thing again. Robert Cornwall completely ignored the chance that he had been given in July last year – and started having highly sexualised chats with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl.
In both cases, the girls did not even exist and were decoys that had been set up by undercover teams to trap online sexual predators like him, Hull Crown Court heard. Cornwall, 21, formerly of Bourne Street, Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and breaching a sexual harm prevention order, between March 29 and April 2.
Cornwall also admitted breaching an eight-month suspended prison sentence, with 30 days’ rehabilitation and a six-month monitoring order, that had been imposed on July 18 last year. He had been given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and had to register as a sex offender for seven years.
Natalie Dean, prosecuting, said that police received information on April 2 that Cornwall was involved in sexual communications with a decoy 12-year-old girl. He sent a message to her asking: “What are you doing on here, baby girl?”
The chats became more sexualised and he asked to see her “sexy body”. He sent sexualised pictures and made sexual suggestions. He told her: “I would come and meet you one day if you wanted to. We could go somewhere.”
Cornwall sent a video of himself involved in sexual behaviour and he told her: “All for you, princess.” Part of the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order were not to use a virtual private network – as a way of avoiding his internet use being monitored – but he twice did so, including once when he was given the benefit of the doubt.
Benjamin Donnell, mitigating, said that Cornwall made “frank and honest” admissions about the reasons for his sexualised conversations and “where his sexual interests lie” – in contrast to many other such offenders. The girl involved in the latest offences did not actually exist.
“It was a decoy account,” said Mr Donnell. Cornwall had acted with an “element of immaturity” in his sexualised behaviour. He had been in custody at Hull Prison since April 6.
Judge Alexander Menary said that Cornwall encouraged the decoy girl to engage in sexualised conversations and he sent pictures of himself involved in sexual behaviour. “At all times, you knew that they were 12,” said Judge Menary.
“No real child was involved. At the time of the commission of these offences, you were subject to a suspended sentence order, which was imposed in July of last year.”
Cornwall was “seeking out” chats with children online. The previous suspended prison sentence had only limited success. He had used crack cocaine and cannabis.
Cornwall was jailed for two years and three months. The prison term included a consecutive six months after part of the original suspended sentence was activated. A deprivation order was made for his mobile phone and other items.
The court heard at the original hearing on July 18 last year that Cornwall admitted similar offences of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, between October 11 and 17, 2023. After the original offences, he got a nasty shock when he discovered that he had been exchanging explicit messages and pictures with what turned out to be a decoy teenager set up by a paedophile hunters group.
The court heard that day that an online group targeting sexual predators set up a profile of a 14-year-old girl and used a fake picture of her. Cornwall sent her a message saying: “Hey, how are you doing?”
She told him that she was 14 but he replied: “I know you are 14. It doesn’t bother me.” The chats quickly turned to sexual matters.
He told her: “I am a little bit horny, to be honest with you.” He made sexual suggestions and asked for intimate pictures of her in exchange for explicit images of him.
He asked her: “What do you think, beautiful girl?” Cornwall told the decoy girl: “Keep it secret between you and me.” He made comments about sexual activity and sent a video of himself.
He asked if she wanted a boyfriend and said that he would travel to Nottingham to see her. He told her: “Love you, gorgeous” and made further requests for intimate pictures. He sent another explicit picture of himself and made sexual suggestions.
Cornwall was traced by police through his internet connection. He was arrested on November 1, 2023 and he made full admissions during police interview.
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