A paedophile ex-police officer who was spared prison for collecting and distributing vile child abuse images went on holiday just hours after leaving the courtroom.
Robert Gabbott, who told another man he wanted to ‘take the virginity of child’, was handed a suspended sentence at Swindon Crown Court shortly after midday on Friday (6 January).
Police found 856 indecent images of children, some aged as young as toddlers, on his mobile phone – 200 of which were in the most severe category. Seven he distributed to another paedophile.
He told the other man – who he’d been talking to in an online chatroom – that he wanted to take the virginity of a nine-year-old female relative and had already masturbated to images of her.
FULL COURT STORY: Ex-cop told paedophile he wanted ‘take virginity of child’ and stashed vile images
A source told Wiltshire 999s that the 64-year-old, who retired from Wiltshire Police a decade ago, went on holiday with his wife just hours after the court hearing.
“It’s obvious really, he’s gone away to hide. You wouldn’t want to spend time in your own community after being exposed for such horrid crimes”, they said.
Adding: “He came straight home from court and left Melksham. It’s sensible, but he should be in prison… not swanning around on holiday somewhere.”
As part of a 20-week suspended sentence, over the course of the next two years, Gabbott will have to complete 175 hours of unpaid work and 60 rehabilitation activity days. He will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and a sexual harm prevention order was imposed to run alongside.
