SHOTTON MAN DAVID MCCULLOUGH JAILED FOR PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR INVOLVING CHILD OFFENDERS IN MOLD

In December 2020, a man from Shotton, identified as David McCullough, was sentenced to prison for a series of disturbing offences related to child exploitation and indecent material. The case was heard at Mold Crown Court, where McCullough, aged 47 and residing on Rowden Street in Shotton, faced charges that included attempting to induce a child to view sexual images, distributing indecent photographs of a child, and possessing extreme pornographic images.

The court proceedings revealed that the case was part of an undercover operation conducted by members of a child protection activist group. These activists had set up an online sting operation designed to catch individuals seeking contact with minors for sexual purposes. They posed as a 14-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, creating a trap to expose predators who attempt to engage with minors on social media platforms.

Prosecutor Simon Mintz explained that a forensic analysis of McCullough’s phone uncovered evidence of communication with two unidentified males. During these chats, McCullough expressed a preference for 'teen and young' individuals. One of the males sent him a Category B image, which McCullough then forwarded to the other male, constituting the offence of distribution of indecent images.

The court also detailed a specific incident from August 18, 2019, when McCullough contacted a user with the username Nosey Rosie on Kick Messenger. During this exchange, he disclosed his age as 47, while the user claimed to be 14. McCullough requested a photograph, which she refused to send. Later, he admitted to feeling 'horny.'

Two days later, on August 20, McCullough reinitiated contact, sharing two clips of a male performing a sex act and asking if she liked them. On the same night, he contacted another 'child' who claimed to be just nine years old from Manchester. McCullough requested proof of her age, and she sent him an image of a child. He responded with a clip of a male engaging in a sexual act. When she refused to send a picture of herself, McCullough sent another indecent image.

The evidence further showed that the activist group’s members, posing as children, coordinated their efforts and even contacted a decoy posing as an adult female who arranged to meet McCullough. On August 21, the group confronted him at his residence in Shotton, live streaming the encounter on Facebook while waiting for police to arrive.

Authorities found that McCullough possessed multiple indecent images of children aged between 6 and 14 on his phone, laptop, and thumb drive. An extreme image was also recovered from his devices. The judge, Recorder Simon Mills, acknowledged that McCullough was a man in his late 40s with no prior criminal record but emphasized the seriousness of his actions. The judge pointed out that McCullough had a sexual interest in children and had actively sought out minors online, specifically on Kick Messenger’s 'Schoolers' area, where he communicated with individuals he believed were children.

Recorder Mills remarked on the common occurrence of such cases being exposed by undercover operations and activist groups, questioning why individuals like McCullough bother to engage in such predatory behaviour given the risk of being caught. He expressed concern that many offenders are driven by a loss of self-control and deviant sexual urges, which can lead to dangerous and predatory conduct.

The judge noted that McCullough believed he was interacting with real children, and despite protests, he continued to escalate the conversations in a predatory manner. The court described his behaviour as aggressive—not in terms of violence but in terms of a loss of self-control driven by deviant urges, which caused him to ignore the law and social norms.

In sentencing, McCullough received a 12-month custodial sentence for attempting to cause a child to view sexual activity and an additional three months for distributing a Category B image. These sentences are to run consecutively. For possession of indecent images and making such images, he was given concurrent sentences, resulting in a total prison term of 15 months. He is expected to serve half of this sentence in custody.

Overall, the case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement and child protection groups to combat online predatory behaviour and the serious consequences faced by those who engage in such criminal activities.