Benjamin Jason Robilliard faced seven charges – five relating to the younger girl, one in connection with the older child, and a separate charge of possessing indecent images of a child.
Robilliard, 20, admitted all of the offences, although he initially denied indecent assault of the teenager.
The offences against the older girl started after they met in 2021.
He was 16 and he knew she was 13, prosecuting Advocate Liam Roffey told the court.
In an interview with police after Robilliard’s arrest, she said that they would play a hiding game and would hide together. Despite asking Robilliard to stop, on one occasion he forced his hand inside her underwear, touching her intimately and scratching her so she bled. There was a history of victim blaming in the relationship, especially when she tried to end it.
In a victim impact statement the girl said she had felt embarrassed and ashamed with other boys because of what had happened to her. She had to move bedrooms at her home to avoid flashbacks and nightmares.
Robilliard met the second victim at Beau Sejour in 2023 when she was 11 and he was 18.
He knew her real age but they told people that she was 13 and he was 14 to ‘avoid getting into trouble’, she later told police.
They used to meet at a secluded derelict building in Castel.
A witness told police that he saw the defendant kissing the girl on two separate occasions as well as touching her on the bottom. That led to two charges of indecent assault of a child.
The girl’s mental age was lower than her physical age. She had found it difficult explaining what had happened to police but said she and Robilliard had sex on two occasions though she had not wanted to.
DNA found on a condom at the scene matched both the victim and Robilliard.
During the investigation, Robilliard’s mobile phone was analysed and seven indecent images of another local girl were found on it. They were graded as category C.
Messages on his phone arranging to meet the girl led to a charge of grooming.
Advocate Sam Maindonald, defending, said she had little to add to the psychiatric and psychological reports and probation report before the court, which referenced Robilliard’s learning difficulties.
He had spent time in care during his childhood and was isolated from his peers. He often sought the company of younger people.
He had written a letter to the court in which he apologised for the upset he had caused and said he had not thought about the effect his behaviour would have on the girls.
He had started to take courses in prison and now hoped to become a car mechanic.
Robilliard had no previous convictions and had been on remand in custody for more than 18 months.
This was taken into account, said Lt-Bailiff Russell Finch, delivering the court’s sentence, as were the reports.
But Robilliard’s initial not guilty plea to one of the charges was an aggravating factor.
‘All in all these were wicked and disgusting examples of serious and unlawful sexual exploitation of young people,’ he said.
Robilliard was sentenced to a total of six years for the five offences against the youngest girl and 30 months, consecutively, for the offence against the older girl.
He was given a concurrent six-month sentence for possession of the indecent images.
He will be subject to a five-year extended sentence upon release and a 10-year notification order, dating from the day of his guilty pleas, was also imposed.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Tanner said that the sentence reflected the ‘serious and abhorrent nature of the offences committed by this individual’.
‘Crimes of this nature cause deep and lasting harm, not only to the direct victims, but also to their families and the wider public. As a force, we are committed to rooting out offenders of this kind and ensuring they are brought before the courts,' he said.
‘I’d like to take the opportunity to commend the bravery of the victims in this case for coming forward to speak to the police.
‘We know that can be a daunting step to take, but it is vital to allow us to ensure offenders face justice. We continue to work hard on ensuring we are as approachable as possible and investigate crimes of this nature with a victim-first mindset.’
