DAVID CULLEN FROM BLACKBIRD LEYS SENTENCED FOR PREDATORY PAEDOPHILIA IN LONDON COURT

In a case that has shocked the community and sparked outrage among victims, David Cullen, a man formerly residing in Blackbird Leys, has been at the center of a disturbing series of criminal acts involving the exploitation of young boys. Cullen, aged 49, was convicted of a range of heinous offenses, including multiple counts of rape, indecent assault, and meeting a child following grooming on the Internet. His crimes spanned a period during which he targeted vulnerable minors, some as young as under 13 years old.

One of the most disturbing aspects of Cullen’s criminal activity was his use of digital technology to facilitate his abuse. He recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with boys and transmitted these recordings over the Internet to a fellow paedophile located in America. This act of sharing such material underscores the depravity of his actions and highlights the extent of his predatory behavior.

Following his arrest and subsequent trial, Cullen was sentenced to life imprisonment at London’s Crown Court, with a minimum term of 10 years before he could be considered for parole. The court’s decision was based on the severity and multiplicity of his offenses, which involved five boys under the age of 13. Despite the gravity of his crimes, a recent development has caused significant distress among his victims and the wider community.

On Thursday, during an appeal hearing at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, a judge decided to reduce Cullen’s minimum sentence from 10 years to just six years and eight months. This decision has been met with outrage, particularly from one of Cullen’s victims, a man now in his 30s who was abused during the 1980s. The victim expressed his dismay, stating, “They should throw away the key. This man is a manipulative scheming individual who conned his way into people’s lives and abused their children. The courts aren’t taking into account the longevity of his abuse and how many times he has been up in front of court. This makes a mockery of justice. He gets a shortened sentence while I have to suffer for the rest of my life.”

It was revealed that Cullen had previously appeared in court 19 times before his final sentencing in November. Notably, he committed further offenses while on bail, including the rape of a 10-year-old boy. The appeal court’s decision was influenced by the fact that Cullen had entered guilty pleas during his trial, which the original sentencing judge, Judge Julian Hall of Oxford Crown Court, had not fully considered. Mr. Justice Jack, presiding over the appeal, acknowledged that Cullen’s crimes demonstrated a “predatory paedophile of the worst kind,” emphasizing the profound and lasting harm inflicted upon his victims.

Justice Jack stated, “These offences corrupted the children involved and there will be almost inevitably the most serious consequences for their future, some perhaps more than others. There was grooming, deception; there was the filming and, on occasion, simultaneous transmission. This was a case that went beyond anything that’s considered in the sex offences sentencing guidelines.”

Despite the reduction in the minimum term, Cullen remains in custody and will be eligible to apply for parole. However, Justice Jack clarified that the possibility of release depends entirely on the decision of the Parole Board, and it does not guarantee his freedom. It is also noteworthy that Cullen’s twin brother, Gerard Cullen, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2004 for rape and sexual assault, indicating a troubling family history of sexual offenses.