Australia Police on Saturday, took 53-year-old Christopher Lobban, into custody without incident at his home located at Mullaloo, Australia, on a Polk County (FL) provisional warrant for 2 counts Promotion of Sexual Performance of a Child, 2 counts Solicitation to Commit Aggravated Child Abuse by Malicious Punishment, and 2 counts Solicitation to Commit Lewd/Lascivious Battery on a Victim 12-16 Years of Age.
According to affidavits, the investigation began in May 2011 when PCSO detectives were alerted that a Polk County Sheriff’s detention deputy, 45-year-old Robin Pagoria, was severely punishing by whipping with paddles two children she had access to between the ages of 10 and 18. Pagoria was subsequently arrested and resigned from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. She was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of Aggravated Child Abuse (2 counts), Use of Child in Sexual Performance (1 count), Promotion of Child Pornography (3 counts), and Possession of Child Pornography (3 counts). The State Attorney’s Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit amended and upgraded those charges to: 2 counts Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, 2 counts Aggravated Assault, and 2 counts Lewd Battery. She remains in the Polk County Jail on no bond.
Four of Pagoria’s charges carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison. The abused children are not being identified. Pagoria did not gain access to the children through her employment. Before resigning, Pagoria had been employed as a detention deputy for nearly six years.
During post-Miranda interviews with Pagoria and searches of her home, computer, and cell phone, PCSO detectives learned that Pagoria’s online boyfriend, identified as Christopher Lobban of Western Australia, was instrumental in her abuse of the children. Lobban instructed Pagoria how to make a “spanking table” and instructed her how to hit the young girls. Pagoria also videotaped the abuse and uploaded the videos to a website for Lobban’s review. The victims also described Lobban as being very involved in their “punishment.”
According to the affidavit, Western Australia Police executed a search warrant at Lobban’s residence on May 30, 2011, four days after Pagoria’s arrest in Polk County. The search warrant was executed as a result of a dual investigation between the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Western Australia Police into Lobban’s involvement in online sex crimes. During the search warrant Western Australia Police seized two computers and several cell phones from Lobban’s residence. Police also observed spanking paraphernalia inside of Lobban’s home during the search warrant.
Western Australia Police detectives have positively identified Lobban as the same man Pagoria calls her online boyfriend, and whose photos she had on her computer. The police recovered chat logs on Lobban’s computer between he and an Australian woman during which he describes the spankings conducted by Pagoria. They also found newsclippings about Pagoria’s arrest in Lobban’s home. In cooperation with the online video-sharing service used by Pagoria and Lobban, detectives confirmed two videos uploaded by Pagoria of her sadomasochistic spanking of the children was viewed on at least 11 occasions by Lobban.
Lobban will remain in the custody of the Western Australian Authorities until he is extradited to Polk County on the afore-mentioned charges.
