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A "highly dangerous sexual predator" who spent 10 years "doing everything he could to escape punishment" has been jailed.

Neil Robinson, who lived in Staines before fleeing overseas, surrendered to Chinese officials following a renewed appeal for information on his whereabouts.

At the time of his initial arrest he was working at a school in China.

The 47-year-old was jailed for 12 years at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (January 10) for non-recent sexual offences and possession of indecent images of children.

Speaking after his sentencing, Detective Inspector Becky Molyneux, from the Staines Public Protection Unit, said: "I welcome today's lengthy custodial sentence for Neil Robinson which sends out a clear message that Surrey Police will do everything possible to relentlessly pursue those who commit serious offences in the county and bring them before the courts.

"Robinson is a highly dangerous sexual predator who put his vulnerable young victims through what must have been horrendous ordeals and then spent the next ten years doing everything he could to escape punishment for those horrific crimes.

"I hope the outcome from court today demonstrates that no matter where in the world offenders try to hide and escape from their past we will use all available resources to bring them to justice."

Behind bars

Robinson had entered guilty pleas to three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, one count of making an indecent video of a child and three counts of indecent assault during a hearing in September 2013. The offences took place between 1999 and 2002.

Robinson was later charged with 25 offences in relation to making and possessing indecent images of children which he pleaded guilty to on January 10.

The paedophile had been wanted by Surrey Police for more than a decade after fleeing the country in 2002. Following further enquiries and international media coverage of the force's renewed appeal, he handed himself in on April 26 last year.

He returned to the UK on May 24 where he was arrested at Heathrow Airport and taken into custody.

Det Insp Molyneux added: "Today's sentencing is the culmination of a lengthy and highly complex investigation which began more than a decade ago and has now ended with Robinson being put behind bars.

"Robinson would not have been located and arrested without the dedication and persistence of a number of officers, including the tireless work of DC Stacey Bolton - her efforts led directly to us getting the information we needed to track him down.

"I would also like to thank Crimewatch, the Chinese authorities and a number of other agencies for their assistance and co-operation in our attempts to ensure Robinson was swiftly returned to the UK."

Robinson must sign the Sex Offenders' Register and will have a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order for life.