Highland coach who persuaded teen boys to pose naked launches appeal bid

Press and Journal

09-05-2025

A former American football coach who was jailed for persuading teenagers to pose naked for a fake sex education video is to appeal his conviction and sentence.
Robert 'Robbie' Paulin – who had previously served as head coach of the Highland Wildcats – was convicted of two counts of facilitating the involvement in pornography of a person aged under 18 by a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court.
On April 24 the 39-year-old was handed a two-year jail sentence by Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald.
During the hearing, his advocate, Kelly Duling, told the court Paulin maintained his innocence.
In Scotland, those convicted of serious offences are entitled to lodge appeals to the court.
That enables their lawyers to make legal arguments, claiming that the conviction or the sentence – or both – were unsafe or too severe compared to similar cases.
In this case, Paulin's legal representatives have intimated their intention to appeal both the conviction and sentence.
A spokesman for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed the development this afternoon.
A senior judge or appeal sheriff will now decide whether or not to grant permission for the appeal to proceed based on legal matters and evidence.
If permission is granted, an appeal hearing is likely to be held within the coming months before a panel of three judges.
The four-day trial had heard that Paulin had led outreach sessions in a number of schools and had had contact with a number of young people 'in the thousands' over a 17-year period.
Paulin's victims – now in their 20s – gave evidence describing how they became close to the older man before the crimes took place between 2012 and 2014.
One, aged 17, posed naked for indecent photographs – some of which Paulin himself took.
These included photographs of his victim's penis and video of the teenager performing a solo sex act.
Paulin also had a second boy, aged 15, pose naked while he took indecent images, including photographs of his penis, and attempted to take video of him performing a solo sex act.
The teenagers believed that the images were for use in educational material.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Paulin repeatedly denied all of the conduct described by his accusers and, under cross-examination, claimed that both had 'grievances' against him.
Sentencing Paulin, of Glenmoriston, to two years in jail, Sheriff MacDonald told him: 'You took the opportunity to groom these young men – you spotted their individual vulnerabilities and made a plan.
'You manipulated and deceived them, you tricked them both.'