Robert Black | Smelly Bob | Serial Killer Documentary

Robert Black (born 21 April 1947 in Grangemouth, Scotland) is a Scottish serial killer and child molester. He kidnapped, raped and murdered three girls during the 1980s, kidnapped a fourth girl who survived, attempted to kidnap a fifth, and is the suspect in a number of unsolved child murders dating back to the 1970s throughout Europe. On December 16th 2009, Black was charged with the murder of Jennifer Cardy, a 9 year old girl whose body was found at McKee's Dam near Hillsborough, County Down in August 1981. Robert Black was born in Grangemouth, about 20 miles from Edinburgh, on the Firth of Forth. His natural mother (Jessie Hunter Black) refused to put a father's name on his birth certificate and had him fostered. She subsequently married Francis Hall, had four more children and died in 1982, but Black never had any further contact with her or his half-siblings. He was raised by Jack and Margaret Tulip in Kinlochleven, near Glencoe in the West Highlands. Locals and neighbours report that Black was often frequently and heavily bruised during his childhood and acquaintances from primary school say he was "A bit of a loner but with a tendency to bully." He preferred to spend time with younger children and was known for committing random, sudden acts of violence. Aside from a propensity for violence, Black developed a sexual awareness at an early age. He claims to have compared genetalia with a girl around the age of five. He also claims to have begun inserting objects into his anus at the age of eight and, when arrested later in life, to have had a life-long feeling that he should have been female. Early crimes While living with the Tulips, Robert Black developed sexual self-awareness at a young age. He later said that from the age of eight he would often push objects up his anus. This was a practice that he would continue into adulthood. As a young child, he also had an interest in the genitals of other children. At the age of just five, he and a girl both took off their clothes and compared each others' genitals. Black first attempted rape at the age of 12 along with two other boys. They attacked a girl in a field, but found themselves unable to complete the act of penetration. The authorities were notified and Black was moved to the Red House in Musselburgh. While there, a male staff member sexually abused him. It was while Black was at Red House that he also entered Musselburgh Grammar School where he developed an interest in football and swimming. At 15, Black left Red House and found a job working as a delivery boy in Greenock near Glasgow. He later admitted that, while on his rounds, he molested 30 to 40 girls with various degrees of success. None of these incidents seem to have been officially reported until his first conviction at the age of 17 when he lured a seven-year-old girl to a deserted building, strangled her until she lost consciousness and then masturbated over her body. He was arrested and convicted of "lewd and libidinous" behaviour for this offence, but received only an admonishment. After this, Black moved back to Grangemouth and got a job with a builders' supply company. He also found a girlfriend, Pamela Hodgson, fell in love and asked her to marry him. Black was devastated when she ended the relationship several months later. In 1966, Black's inappropriate manifestation of his sexual desires resurfaced when he molested his landlord and landlady's nine-year old granddaughter. The girl eventually told her parents. They took no legal action but Black was ordered to leave the house. At this time, Black moved to Kinlochleven where he was raised. He took a room with a couple who had a seven-year-old daughter. As before, Black molested the girl. This time, however, when the sexual abuse was discovered, the police were notified and Black was eventually sentenced to a year of borstal training at Polmont. On his release, Black left Scotland and moved to London. His abuse of young girls subsided for a time when he discovered child pornography — when police searched his home after his arrests for murder, they discovered more than 100 magazines and 50 videos. In London, Black found work as a swimming pool attendant and would sometimes go underneath the pool, remove the lights and watch young girls as they swam. Soon, a young girl complained that Black had touched her and while no official charges were brought, Black lost his job. While Black lived in London he spent a lot of time in pubs playing darts. He became a reasonable player, and became a well-known face on the amateur darts circuit. Darts world champion Eric Bristow knew Black vaguely during this time, remembering him as a "loner" who never seemed to have a girlfriend. In 1976, Black began working as a van driver. It was while working as a driver that he developed a thorough knowledge of some of the UK's roads, particularly its minor roads.