STORY
Robert Emmerson, a 40-year-old from Manchester, has had his prison sentence increased from four and a half years to seven years, with an additional three years on licence, following a referral to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Between 6 November 2023 and 15 April 2024, Emmerson committed five separate sexual assaults and seven acts of exposure against 11 girls and young women in central Manchester and Wythenshawe. The assaults occurred in broad daylight, leaving victims “shocked” and “terrified” with some noting that Emmerson was smiling during the attacks.
Emmerson has a history of sexual offences, including previous convictions for indecent exposure and stalking. Some of his victims were schoolgirls. On 30 January 2025, Emmerson was initially sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to four years and six months for five counts of sexual assault and seven counts of exposure. He also received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and is subject to indefinite notification requirements.
Following a referral by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP, the Court of Appeal increased Emmerson’s sentence on 1 May 2025. Rigby stated:
“I was sickened and angered to read of the offender’s numerous sexual assaults against women and young girls. His increased sentence clearly shows that sex offenders will be brought to justice and face the penalty they deserve. This government is committed to halving violence against women and girls in a decade as part of the Plan for Change, and this increased sentence will keep predators like Emmerson off our streets. My thoughts today are with the young women attacked by Emmerson.”