Judge praises victims as child abuser jailed

Two children who were targeted by a sex abuser have been praised for their courage after their attacker was jailed for four and a half years.

Paul Robson, 58, made a young boy perform a sex act upon him, then years later targeted a young teenage girl, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Both victims said the abuse had drastically affected their lives, with the girl saying seeing him finally jailed was a "validation" after her initial complaint about him in 2016 led to no further action.

Robson, of Wideopen, near Newcastle, had denied wrongdoing but was found guilty by jurors of indecency with a child and sexual activity with an under-13-year-old.

In statements read to the court, the boy said he reported the abuse years after it occurred after suffering flashbacks.

He said it had led to stress, anxiety and depression and had fundamentally changed his life and relationships with other people.

Robson's conviction was a "massive relief", the boy added.

The girl said she first reported Robson to police in 2016 but, following an investigation, no further action was taken.

It was only after the boy made his complaint about the earlier abuse years later that officers reopened her report, the court heard.

The 2016 decision left her feeling "devastated, let down and dismissed", she said, adding she lost trust in the justice system and felt as though her "voice did not matter" and she "had not been heard".

Living with that for so long had affected her "mentally, emotionally and physically", the girl said, adding she was left with feelings of "shame, self doubt and frustration".

Robson's eventual conviction "brought a sense of validation", the girl said, adding it did not "erase" the pain but the "truth had finally been recognised".

Judge Gavin Doig praised the "courage and determination" of both victims for reporting Robson.

He said their "perseverance" had led to justice being done and Robson finally facing accountability for his actions.

"All I can do is wish them well for the future and express the hope that, with time, they can put these experiences behind them," the judge said.

Robson was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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