GARY CUMMINGS FROM HEATON, NEWCASTLE, SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN COURT

In October 2014, a man from Heaton, Newcastle, found himself spending his birthday behind the walls of Newcastle Crown Court as he faced serious allegations related to child sex offences. The case centered around Gary Cummings, a man who had previously attracted attention for his inappropriate conduct towards teenagers.

Police conducted a thorough search of Cummings' residence in Heaton in October of the previous year. During the search, officers recovered a mobile phone from beneath his mattress. Upon examination, the device was found to contain multiple indecent images of children, which were categorized into different levels of severity. Specifically, there were eight images classified as Category C, two as Category B, and two as the most serious Category A. Notably, these images were stored without any passwords or PINs, making them easily accessible.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch addressed the court, stating that Cummings was interviewed regarding the contents of his phone. During the interview, the defendant acknowledged that he was aware of the images but claimed he had not requested or knowingly obtained them. Cummings insisted that he did not have a sexual interest in children, attempting to distance himself from the implications of the images found on his device.

At the time of the offences, Cummings was 52 years old and was residing at Otterburn Villas in South Jesmond. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of making and/or possessing indecent images of children, along with an additional count related to possession of indecent photographs.

The court also heard that Cummings had a prior history of concerning behaviour. In 2008, he was subject to a five-year risk of sexual harm order after engaging in inappropriate conduct towards teenage girls in Newcastle City Centre. During that period, he attempted to befriend young girls by writing explicit poems for them. Additionally, he was observed loitering outside the workplace of a 19-year-old woman for several months, which raised further concerns about his intentions.

Mitigating for Cummings, solicitor Kieran O’Neill, explained that his client was celebrating his birthday at the time of sentencing. He described Cummings as a loner, living alone with limited social connections, and emphasized that he clearly had issues that needed to be addressed within the community. O’Neill also noted that, although the number of images was relatively small, the presence of any such material was still serious.

Judge Simon Hickey delivered the sentence, expressing his concern over Cummings’ unhealthy and unnatural interest in children. The judge emphasized the importance of protecting the public and ensuring that offenders like Cummings receive appropriate intervention to prevent future offending. As part of the sentence, Cummings was given a three-year community order with 36 months of supervision. He was also required to participate in a sex offender treatment programme.

Furthermore, Cummings was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60. He will also be subject to a 10-year sexual offences protection order, which includes conditions such as making electronic devices available for police searches and restrictions on contacting anyone under 18 unless with parental or guardian permission. The court’s ruling aims to safeguard potential victims and prevent further harm from the defendant.