FORMER TEACHER JAILED FOR 10 MONTHS AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORN
A schoolteacher from Annesley, James Cullen, ended his career in disgrace after being found with 117 child porn videos and over 20,000 photographs.The details of his conviction were revealed during a court hearing where Cullen admitted to downloading the material from the internet over a period of more than three years at his residence on Lewis Crescent.
Using a hearing loop to follow the proceedings, Cullen was sentenced to ten months in prison after pleading guilty to importing indecent images.
The magistrates also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order to prevent any future offenses.
When Cullen first appeared in court, a deputy district judge clarified that “although he was a teacher at the time, this was not committed as part of that employment.” Prosecutor Daniel Pietryka informed the Nottingham Magistrates' Court that the downloads took place between January 2014 and December 2017.
During police searches, officers seized electronic devices and uncovered 12 videos classified as Category B, which is the second level of seriousness.
They also found 95 videos at the third level and 20,182 still photographs.
Mr Pietryka explained, “He initially denied the matters in question, blaming the internet.” He added that Cullen claimed to conduct local searches for nudists and naturalists, and that these images would sometimes appear.
Despite this, Cullen accepted that he downloaded images for his sexual gratification.
Defending Cullen, Sean Conway requested the magistrates to follow a recommendation from a probation officer—that Cullen attend a course aimed at preventing further offending.
Conway emphasized, “The offenses were caused by literally 12 links, clicking 12 times and accessing a large number.
That is what happened.
I am not for a second trying to minimize it but that is the truth.
He accepts he has done wrong.” Cullen resigned from his teaching position prior to any disciplinary actions and acknowledged that the General Teaching Council would likely remove him from the register.
Since then, he has undertaken training as an HGV driver and is currently employed in that profession.
Conway highlighted Cullen’s remorse and his willingness to explore the reasons behind his court appearance, stating, “There is a level of remorse and a willingness to get to the root cause and find why he finds himself before the court.
There is a massive taboo around matters like these, and I don’t seek to minimize that, but he has never been in trouble before.” At the time of the court hearing, Cullen was undergoing hospital treatment and was awaiting stitches removal following surgery.
Conway urged the magistrates not to impose a custodial sentence so Cullen could continue his employment.
Following Cullen’s imprisonment, an appeal was filed against the sentence, which will be considered at the Crown Court by a judge and two magistrates.
A bail application was also submitted while awaiting the appeal hearing, but Magistrate Peter Dexter, sitting with a colleague, denied the request.
“We have considered this carefully and bail will be refused due to the seriousness of the offending,” said Mr Dexter.
The case was subsequently adjourned to await a report from a probation officer.
