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Singapore: An Australian man trying to quash a conviction for child sex crimes in Timor-Leste ended up having his prison sentence almost doubled to what is believed to be the longest the tiny nation has ever handed down to a foreigner.
Robert Trott, a long-term resident of Timor-Leste and who is now in his late 70s, was convicted on multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor, according to lawyers. Representatives for the family have asked that the nature of the offending not be published to protect the child’s identity.
He was originally convicted and sentenced to 11 years’ jail in June 2024. In his appeal, the court not only upheld his conviction but also agreed with the victim’s lawyers that his original sentence had been incorrectly calculated.
After a fresh assessment, Trott was sentenced to 20 years in jail on January 15.
Jurídico Social (JU,S), the firm acting for the victim, said the outcome was a “positive demonstration of the capacity of Timor-Leste’s justice system”.
But despite Trott’s being found guilty of serious crimes in 2024, the judges at the time allowed him to remain in the community while he launched an appeal. Delays in the proceedings meant he was free for 18 months – time that he appeared to use to work at a Dili school. Facebook posts from Dili’s Shine Day Care and International School in July 2025 describe him as “Our beloved mentor, Daddy Robert Trott”.
Another post from a year earlier – weeks after he was first convicted – also lists him as “mentor” at the daycare, alongside three others.
Timor-Leste does not have a sex offender register but his conviction in 2024 was public knowledge.
The nature of Trott’s mentoring was unclear as the school declined to answer questions. There is no suggestion that he committed further crimes there.
Trott is believed to hail from Adelaide. His online presence suggests he spent time in Timor-Leste working as a political media adviser and, more recently, in a Dili kebab shop.
Lawyers in Timor-Leste believe the sentence is the longest the nation has ever given to a foreigner. While Trott can appeal against its length, he has exhausted opportunities to appeal the conviction, according to JU,S.
‘A clear message’
In October last year, Timor-Leste formally joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, fulfilling an ambition since independence in 2002, and delayed for years while it built up its infrastructure and institutions.
JU,S lawyer Dr Olívio Barros Afonso said the decision against Trott last month was particularly relevant in this context, as it sent a “clear message, both domestically and internationally, that Timor-Leste has the institutional, legal and operational capacity to act firmly against foreign nationals who enter the country to exploit and sexually abuse our children”.
The investigation into Trott began several years ago after a complaint from an Australian to Australian authorities.
The AFP did not answer questions from this masthead about its involvement. Attempts to contact Timor-Leste’s public defender’s office were unsuccessful.
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