A former school bus driver in Northern Ireland has been sentenced to a year behind bars after admitting to possessing child sexual abuse images.
Robert John James Arnold, 48, from County Tyrone, was already serving time for 17 similar offenses handed down earlier this month. On Tuesday, a Belfast court tacked on another prison term after investigators uncovered 246 indecent images on his devices.
Disturbingly, some of the pictures included “upskirting” shots Arnold secretly took of young girls who were passengers on his school bus. The judge blasted his actions as proof of an “inappropriate sexual interest in young girls,” stressing that he abused his position of trust to commit the crimes.
The case came to light in April 2022 when police were called to Curry’s amusement park in Portrush after witnesses reported Arnold was photographing children. Officers confronted him and, while ordering him to delete images, spotted what appeared to be child abuse material. They seized his phone and uncovered hundreds of files, including three Category A images—the most serious type.
Arnold has since told the court he feels remorse and now understands the damage caused, but the judge said he showed little regard for the fact that each image represented a real child being exploited.
He was sentenced to 12 months on several counts, plus 10 months on others, though the terms will run concurrently. In a prior case, Arnold admitted to 17 additional charges, including possession of child abuse and prohibited images, as well as acts of public indecency.
The judge said his behavior revealed a “pattern of sexual abuse offending” that spanned years and violated the safety of children he was trusted to protect.
Is this conversation helpful so far?
Maybe he would learn a lesson while in prison and repent if his evil deeds