Wife snares paedophile husband by posing as online schoolgirl using computer in room next door

A wife posed as a schoolgirl online to catch her husband using an internet chatroom to groom underage girls for sex.

Cheryl Roberts, 61, had become concerned about the amount of time her husband David spent at his computer.

When a strongly-worded sexual message appeared on his screen while he was out, her suspicions were raised even further, a court heard.

Cheryl Roberts, 61, was so shocked by the behaviour of her husband David Roberts (right) she contacted the police and the NSPCC



To her disgust, Mrs Roberts discovered that her 68-year-old husband of 20 years had been logging on to a teenage chatroom.

The message, signed with his nickname Corky, had been sent to an underage girl, but showed on his screen again when she sent her reply.

Rather than confront him, his wife used a second computer in their home to join the same chatroom, pretending she was a 14-year-old girl.

The court was told that the couple then exchanged messages - while he was in his private study and she was in their living room next door.

As well as sending explicit messages, Roberts even used a webcam to film himself performing a sexual act, thinking it was being watched by a young girl.

But after he propositioned the 'girl' and asked to meet her for sex, his wife decided to act, contacting the police and the NSPCC.

When police seized his computer and found dozens of illegal child-porn images, Roberts assumed he had been caught out by routine monitoring of downloads.

He was stunned when detectives broke the news that he had actually been chatting up his wife.

Roberts, a former pub landlord who has grown-up children, denied having sex with any schoolgirls - but admitted he had been 'prepared to do so'. At Cardiff Crown Court he admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and making and possessing illegal images.

Although the sexual activity was actually witnessed by his wife, the fact that he intended his actions to be seen by a 14-year-old girl meant he was charged as if this had actually been the case.

Roberts was given a three-year community order and banned from access to children under the age of 18, in person or online.

Judge Christopher Vosper QC said he could not impose a long enough sentence for him to be treated behind bars but ordered him to attend a 'community sexual offenders group work programme'.

He will also have to register as a sex offender for five years.

The court heard that the couple, from Bridgend, South Wales, are getting divorced. Mrs Roberts, who has two children from a previous relationship, has moved out of their home and is staying with friends.

She said yesterday: 'I was shocked at the sentence - I don't think he's got what he deserves.

'I thought the judge would be a lot harder and that he might go to prison. I still feel very angry towards him. It is hard to think that a man you married could do this.

'But I did the right thing and I don't regret it. Now I just need some time to think and put all this behind me.'