Devon Man Jailed for Child Sex Abuse and Possession of Hundreds of Images

A Devon man has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for the sexual abuse of a young girl and the possession of hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse. Wade Robinson, 31, of no fixed address but with links to Tiverton and Exeter, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to five charges of possessing online child abuse material and three counts related to the sexual assault of a child.

The court also imposed a three-and-a-half year license period upon Robinson's release and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. An investigation into Robinson began after investigators linked him to an online account from which a child abuse image was uploaded to a website. In 2022, officers executed a warrant at an address in Exeter. Upon arrival, Robinson fled the property by jumping out of a garden window and attempting to discard his phone over a neighboring fence. Police apprehended him in the garden and recovered his phone.

Despite Robinson's refusal to provide the PIN for his device, digital forensics experts were able to unlock it. They discovered over a thousand images of child sexual abuse, including Category A material, which is the most serious type. Following Robinson's arrest, a victim came forward and disclosed that she had been abused by him, providing her account.

Several images found on Robinson's phone were identified as belonging to the victim, who was a child. After professional analysis, detectives gathered enough evidence to charge Robinson with eight offenses, which he ultimately pleaded guilty to. This plea spared the victim from having to testify in court.

Robinson, who refused to appear for sentencing, will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Judge Adkin commented during sentencing: "He has refused to engage with the court and is clearly an individual who doesn't have the courage to face up to the fact he has committed these incidents of utter depravity."