NICHOLAS CUMMINS FROM SHOTTON JAILED FOR REPREHENSIBLE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CRIMES IN MOLD

In March 2025, a disturbing case unfolded at Mold Crown Court involving Nicholas Cummins, a 39-year-old man from Shotton, who was convicted of heinous crimes involving the exploitation and abuse of young children. The court heard that Cummins had taken indecent photographs of an eleven-year-old girl, along with images of two boys, which he later stored alongside a staggering collection of over 8,000 indecent images of children.

During the proceedings, the female victim, whose identity remains protected to preserve her lifelong anonymity, delivered a powerful statement condemning Cummins' 'repulsive' actions. She described how the trauma inflicted by his crimes has cast a long shadow over her adolescence, leaving her with ongoing fears that these images might resurface on the internet in the future. She also shared her struggles with body image and trust, revealing that she finds it difficult to be unclothed in front of her current partner and has become an overprotective and paranoid mother.

The court was informed that Cummins was the primary carer for his mother, a circumstance he was permitted to explain, but the judge emphasized that the need for punishment and public safety took precedence. Prosecutor Myles Wilson detailed that police, upon arresting Cummins in 2021, discovered a vast digital hoard: 8,190 indecent images stored across his hard drive and USB drives. These included 172 still photographs and 25 moving images classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of indecency.

Further investigation revealed that Cummins had been actively searching for indecent images of children, predominantly boys aged between three and 14, as well as infants, over a period spanning from 2008 to 2021. Among the collection were 31 images of the eleven-year-old girl, who was a victim in this case, along with images of two boys aged 17 and 11. The images of the girl were classified as Category C, which denotes a lower level of severity but nonetheless constitutes serious criminal activity.

In his defense, Peter Barnett argued that Cummins, who was employed at a supermarket, had a sexual interest in children but had not engaged in any physical contact with minors. Barnett acknowledged that Cummins was a carer for his mother, and that his imprisonment would significantly impact her. However, he emphasized that Cummins’s actions had caused 'severe psychological harm' to the young girl.

Judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands addressed the court, highlighting that Cummins had denied any involvement in causing the girl to engage in sexual activity and was only convicted after a jury trial. The judge criticized Cummins for attempting to shift blame onto the girl’s mother and noted his lack of genuine remorse for his 'sordid' and 'depraved' conduct. The judge stated, 'You harbor very dark and unnatural attitudes towards young children.'

Given the gravity of his offenses, the court ruled that Cummins should be classified as a dangerous offender. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with an extended period of 18 months on license following his release. Additionally, Cummins received a concurrent sentence of 14 months for the possession of indecent images in Category A and the same for Category C, with no separate penalty for Category B images. The court specified that Cummins must serve at least two-thirds of his seven-and-a-half-year sentence before being eligible to apply for parole, due to his conviction for causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.