A paedophile was caught nearly 10 years after he fled the country for having indecent images of children as young as five years old. But when he returned from Belgium to Hull, he had even more indecent images of children on his laptop, a court heard.
Robert Edwards, 67, of Lexington Drive, west Hull, admitted five offences of possessing indecent images of children. Stephen Welch, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Edwards was arrested in October 2015 on suspicion of having indecent images. He was due to appear in court in May 2016 after police analysed his laptop and phone and discovered the vile images.
There were images and videos of the most serious category, said Mr Welch. But Edwards evaded detention by absconding abroad. He was arrested at an address back in the UK when he returned in February this year. Police found more indecent images on his laptop.
Edwards had already pleaded guilty to the offences from 2015 and the 2025 offences were taken into consideration at the sentencing hearing. The initial offences included having 41 videos. The offences in February 2025 included 53 in the most serious Category A and 43 videos.
Edwards had convictions for 49 previous offences, although none were of a sexual nature. Benjamin Donnell, mitigating, said that Edwards knew that he was under investigation when he left the UK for Belgium.
“He was so ashamed,” said Mr Donnell. “He buried his head in the sand and became a social pariah.” Edwards accepted that he had an interest in sexual material, but there was a prospect of rehabilitation and risk management in the community with the support of the probation service.
Judge Gurdial Singh said that Edwards had admitted candidly his offences and how he went looking for the indecent images for sexual pleasure. Absconding abroad had aggravated his offending. Some of the images were of children under five years old.
“This is not a victimless crime,” said Judge Singh. “These children are being exploited for your benefit. You create the market and, at the end of it, there is someone being exploited and abused for your pleasure.
“If it was not for people like you, there would not be abuse of children.” Judge Singh said that reports had classed Edwards as not presenting a risk and someone who would benefit from a change programme with the probation service.
Edwards was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 20 days’ rehabilitation. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, banning him from living in a home with children under 16 years and from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 years.
All his electronic devices must be made available for scrutiny by police officers and no internet search history must be deleted, under the order. Edwards will also be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.