A paedophile from Croydon made six-year-old children live stream sex acts before sharing them to a secretive online forum.
Robert Chown, an IT specialist, was a core member of a child exploitation group that went by the name ‘The Sanctuary’.
Chown, 49, was jailed today (October 3) for 25 years after pleading guilty to 41 charges and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
In April 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the NCA started investigating The Sanctuary, a private online messaging forum dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children.
Chown was found to be a key contributor to the forum using the username ‘FredHasFiveToes’.
Upon joining the group in 2019, his introductory message read: “Preferences…girls 8-11”.
He added: “As soon as I spot teasing, I’m all over them with compliments”.
He went on to share hundreds of abuse images in the forum that he’d captured over years of sexually exploiting children online.
Chown also posted an indecent photo of a 12-year-old girl that he had taken in person.
The girl was found and safeguarded by the NCA and child protection services.
From his home in south London, Chown pretended to be a teenage boy online to target thousands of children across the world.
Girls and boys as young as six-years-old were coerced by Chown to live stream sexual acts at his instruction, which he would record and share with other paedophiles on ‘The Sanctuary’ and the dark web.
NCA officers arrested Chown at his home address in September 2023 and seized two mobile phones from him.
Across both devices, investigators found over 2,000 indecent images and videos of children in categories A-C.
They also discovered 204 entries into Google Translate of sexual instructions translated from English into Russian and Polish.
These phrases were used by Chown on live streams to incite children around the world to perform sexual acts on themselves.
In interview he admitted to using the persona of a teenage boy online to watch live streams involving children, directing and instructing them to carry out those acts.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Phil Eccles said: “Chown poses a significant danger to children, and our thorough investigation exposed him as a prolific offender who carried out depraved sexual abuse over a number of years.
“While this case is extremely distressing, we hope it reassures the public of our commitment to unmasking paedophiles who think that can operate anonymously online.
“Work with our international partners in the FBI and Europol has been key to this investigation.
“Today’s result is testament to the hard work of our investigative team and it is only right that Chown received a lengthy custodial sentence given the severity of his offending.”
Robbie Weber of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Chown cannot be understated.
“Chown has himself admitted to having a long term extreme interest in child sexual abuse imagery.
“He was a prolific presence on the dark web, gaining notoriety amongst likeminded individuals who would access and share such vile and indecent material.
“He was a key player in coercing children to engage in being filmed or photographed committing non-consensual sexual acts.
“I hope this conviction and sentence sends a clear message that the CPS will continue to relentlessly prosecute and pursue justice for those who sexually exploit children, whenever and wherever that abuse took place.
“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. You are not alone and there is always help available.”
Chown was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court. He was sentenced to 25 years, with seven to be served on licence.
Chown was also handed a lifetime sexual harm prevention order, and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
