NIGEL COX FROM SOLIHULL JAILED FOR FILMING WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the Birmingham and Solihull communities, Nigel Cox, a 35-year-old graphic designer from Merridon Rise, Solihull, has been sentenced to five years in prison for a series of heinous crimes involving the secret filming of women and children in Birmingham city centre.

The court heard that Cox had been stalking females of all ages, secretly capturing footage up their skirts using a hidden video camera concealed within a shopping bag. This invasive activity was carried out over a period of several years, with Cox targeting women aged between five and 25, as well as teenage girls. The police investigation revealed that Cox’s obsession extended beyond simple voyeurism; he had downloaded tens of thousands of disturbing images depicting child abuse. These images were so graphic and horrific that Cox had gone further to create a professionally produced CD-ROM, which he intended to sell to paedophiles, thereby facilitating the distribution of such depraved material.

Judge Richard Wakerley QC, presiding over the case at Birmingham Crown Court, delivered a stern and condemnatory sentence. He described the content of Cox’s CD-ROM as “horrendous” and emphasized the wickedness of the creator’s mind, which included not only the images but also accompanying texts that detailed the abduction, rape, and murder of a young child. The judge made it clear that Cox’s activities were not only morally reprehensible but also posed a significant threat to public safety, especially to young girls.

During the sentencing, Judge Wakerley stated, “You are obsessed with pornography of the worst kind. Your obsession has progressed to the point where you felt the need to visit Birmingham city centre to fulfill your depraved desires.” The judge further condemned Cox’s use of the hidden camera, calling his actions an outrage and highlighting the danger he represented to the community.

Prosecutor Peter Cooke recounted that Cox’s suspicious behavior was first noticed in July of the previous year by a security guard at the Pallasades shopping centre. The guard, suspecting theft, challenged Cox and discovered the concealed camera inside his bag. The device was set on a foam bed, angled upwards, indicating its use for filming. Cox later admitted to police that he had used the camera to film women’s skirts and that, on the day of his arrest, he had filmed approximately ten women in their mid-teens. Over the years, Cox’s activities escalated from using a still camera to filming women aged between five and 25 in various locations around Birmingham.

In addition to the filming, Cox confessed to committing indecent acts while recording. When police apprehended him, they found a laptop in his vehicle containing obscene images of children, which he had downloaded from the internet. Cox faced multiple charges, including 34 counts of making indecent images, six counts of possessing indecent photos of children with intent to distribute, and one count of possessing obscene articles for publication or gain. He had previously pleaded guilty to four charges of outraging public decency.

Defense lawyer Benjamin Nicholls stated that Cox had suffered significant personal losses, including the loss of his business and home, and that his relationship was now uncertain. He explained that Cox’s activities in Birmingham city centre had become an addiction, and that he had expressed a desire to stop his disturbing behavior. The court’s verdict reflects the seriousness of Cox’s crimes and the potential danger he poses to society, especially to vulnerable young girls and children in the Birmingham and Solihull areas.