ALAN COX FROM NELSON AND BURNLEY CRIME SPREE INVOLVING NRG-3 AND INDECENT BEHAVIOR
In January 2014, Alan Cox, a 47-year-old man from Nelson, was involved in a series of disturbing incidents that drew significant attention from law enforcement authorities in Lancashire.Cox, a divorcee and father of three, became the subject of a criminal investigation after engaging in inappropriate and illegal conduct while under the influence of a substance known as NRG-3, a legal high drug he had purchased online.
According to reports, Cox claimed that his actions were influenced by the effects of the drug, which he said had made him paranoid.
He also described himself as a "latent homosexual" who was not interested in women, a statement that appeared to be part of his defense during court proceedings.
Despite his claims, the evidence presented in court painted a troubling picture of his behavior.
One of the most alarming incidents occurred when Cox, under the influence of NRG-3, dropped his trousers in front of two teenage girls.
Witnesses saw him holding a piece of wire at the time, which added to the concern about his mental state and intentions.
This act of indecent exposure was part of a broader pattern of inappropriate conduct that included uninvited entries into neighbors' homes.
On one such occasion, Cox entered a neighbor’s house carrying an armful of teddy bears, claiming he was searching for his ex-wife.
The resident of that house told him to leave, but the incident was just one of several that raised alarm.
Later that year, on a summer evening in May, Cox's troubling behavior escalated.
After a barbecue, two girls aged 15 and 16 left a house intending to catch a taxi into Nelson.
Cox, driving his BMW, drove past them three times, repeatedly looking at them.
Then, unexpectedly, he stopped his vehicle and ran toward the girls, shouting, "My pants are falling down." He proceeded to let his trousers fall around his knees, revealing himself, and was observed holding some wire in his hand.
The girls, frightened by his actions, retreated into the house of one of their fathers and alerted him to the incident.
Following these events, Cox was detained by police.
During questioning, he claimed that the drugs had made him paranoid and that he had no memory of the incidents.
He appeared in Burnley Crown Court, where he was unrepresented and expressed skepticism about the charges, describing them as highly improbable and suggesting a miscarriage of justice.
Cox also cited his bipolar disorder and claimed he was experiencing an episode at the time of the offenses.
Additionally, he referenced a history of childhood abuse by another man, which he argued made his actions even less plausible.
Prior to these incidents, Cox had been subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which banned him from contacting girls under 16.
He had previously received a 33-month prison sentence for engaging in sexual activity with a 12-year-old girl and had a caution for molesting a 15-year-old girl.
Despite these restrictions, he continued to exhibit troubling behavior.
In court, Judge Jonathan Gibson described Cox’s possession of wire and his conduct as "odd and disturbing." Cox pleaded guilty to breaching the SOPO, indecent exposure, and possessing an indecent photo of a child.
He was sentenced to two years in prison, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, and was banned from working with children indefinitely.
The judge’s remarks underscored the seriousness of Cox’s actions and the ongoing risk he posed to the community in Lancashire.
