Married father who 'accidentally' downloaded child porn instead of music is banned from being alone with his eight-year-old daughter

By Rob Cooper
6th March 2012

A father who claims he accidentally downloaded child porn has been banned from seeing his eight-year-old daughter.

Nigel Robinson, 43, was trying to get music off a file sharing website when he says he inadvertently opened up indecent images of young girls.

He immediately alerted his wife, Liz, 33, who suggested calling the police.

But now he is not allowed to be alone with his eight-year-old daughter while an investigation is carried out.

The council have imposed an indefinite ban - but it will be lifted if he is cleared.

The scaffolder said: 'I was trying to get a new album by Slash by downloading it from the web.
'When I opened the folder, I realised all the files were girls' names. When I opened some of them up, I realised they were young girls.

'I immediately called my wife. I was panicking. I asked her what she thought I should do and her response was to call the police.

'I was willing to take it on the chin for downloading the music. I half expected to get arrested for that but felt it was important because someone was obviously uploading this.'

Mr Robinson, of Keyingham, near Hull, East Yorkshire, was told by police that statements would need to be taken by officers and East Riding Council's social services department.

They then confiscated his laptop.

The council then told him he would not be allowed to have unsupervised access until the end of the investigation and they issued him with an indefinite ban.

The written agreement with the family is a voluntary arrangement.

The restriction was put in place at the beginning of November and detectives have apparently told Mr Robinson it may be a year before the laptop is examined.

He said: 'I can categorically state 1,000 per cent there will be nothing inappropriate on my computer other than the files I told the police about.

'I can understand there needs to be caution, it is very serious matter, but to be told it may be a year before the conclusion is just madness.

'I cannot take my daughter to the park, swimming or anything. It has been a nightmare.

'I feel like I am guilty until proven innocent. That is not the way I understood the British justice system to work.

'I wish I had just binned the laptop and then none of this would have happened.

'Whoever was uploading this will be miles away by now, yet I'm under the finger of suspicion.'

The family is being supported by relatives while trying to juggle looking after their daughter but say the difficulties have started to have a strain on their relationship.

Mother Liz Robinson, 33, a carer at a nursing home, said: 'It is hard explaining to an eight-year-old the reason she can't be with her dad.

'I'm standing by Nigel. He is a brilliant father - I can't fault him.

'It feels like he is guilty until proven innocent when it should be the other way around. Thankfully we have all the support of our family and friends helping us.

'We understand that the authorities need to go through the process, that's not the issue. I work in the care industry so know better than anyone that it is vital for the right procedures to be carried out.
'But the thing we can't understand is why it's taking so long.'

A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: 'We are conducting an investigation that has resulted in the confiscation of a laptop, in order for the relevant inquiries to take place.

'This is a standard procedure for this type of investigation. The laptop is sent away to be examined and as this forms the basis for a number of different investigations, Humberside Police have no control over the amount of time it takes for the laptop to be returned.'

A spokesman for East Riding Council said: 'The council's social care team considers that, on the information it presently has about this case, it is a proportionate response to request that Mr Robinson should not have unsupervised access with his own or other children.

'The council will keep the case under review but cannot comment further as this is an on-going investigation.'

[ed. Never incriminate yourself to police, EVER...]