GOSPORT MAN MARK CUMMING CAUGHT VIEWING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES ON NEIGHBOUR'S INTERNET
| Red Rose Database
Gosport Child Sexual Abuser
In August 2014, a disturbing case emerged from Gosport involving local resident Mark Cumming, who was found to have engaged in the illegal viewing of child abuse images using his neighbour’s internet connection. The incident unfolded when Cumming, 42 years old, accessed his neighbour’s Wi-Fi network after requesting the password when his own internet service was temporarily unavailable. Unbeknownst to him, police monitoring the neighbour’s internet activity quickly identified the suspicious activity, leading to a police investigation that uncovered the disturbing truth.
According to court proceedings at Portsmouth Crown Court, it was revealed that Cumming had viewed hundreds of illicit images of children online. The court heard that he had even sat next to his wife on their sofa while browsing these vile images, a fact that added to the shock and horror of the case, especially since his wife was unaware of his actions. The neighbour, who had initially been unaware of the extent of Cumming’s activities, expressed his disbelief and concern. Speaking to The News, the neighbour said, “I couldn’t believe it. We never thought that in a million years. I felt awful. He put up a couple of shelves and my other neighbours and I became part of a gardening thing. It’s disgusting. They were friends when we moved in. There’s 42 children in our street – it’s a worry.”
During the investigation, the neighbour confronted Cumming while he was on bail, but Cumming denied the allegations, claiming they were false. Initially, Cumming did not admit to the offences during police interviews but later pleaded guilty on June 30. The police found that he had accumulated a total of 1,053 images of children, spanning various levels of seriousness. Among these, 12 were moving images, and a staggering 822 images depicted extreme pornography involving animals.
Mark Cumming faced multiple charges, including nine counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of possession of extreme pornography. His illegal viewing activities took place over a period from 2010 to 2013. In sentencing, Judge Sarah Munro QC highlighted the extent of his online activity, stating, “By the end of the three-year period, you spent five to six hours a day accessing pornography. Even at work, you would spend an hour doing so. Without people like you, who gain satisfaction from this, the market for this devastating crime would be reduced. You now seem to appreciate the grave matter. You now feel shame, as well you should, both in relation to the case but also to the hurt to your wife and to your neighbour whose internet you used.”
As part of his sentence, Cumming was ordered to complete a sexual treatment programme. His defence lawyer, Sarah Jones, expressed hope that Cumming was committed to preventing future offences, stating that he had spoken with probation officers about his impulses before his sentencing. The court also ordered the destruction of the electronic devices used to store the illegal images, which included two laptops and a mobile phone. Hampshire police had discovered the images during a search of Cumming’s home on December 6, after monitoring his internet activity through the IP address used to access the illicit content. The investigation underscored the importance of vigilant monitoring and the serious consequences of such criminal behaviour.
According to court proceedings at Portsmouth Crown Court, it was revealed that Cumming had viewed hundreds of illicit images of children online. The court heard that he had even sat next to his wife on their sofa while browsing these vile images, a fact that added to the shock and horror of the case, especially since his wife was unaware of his actions. The neighbour, who had initially been unaware of the extent of Cumming’s activities, expressed his disbelief and concern. Speaking to The News, the neighbour said, “I couldn’t believe it. We never thought that in a million years. I felt awful. He put up a couple of shelves and my other neighbours and I became part of a gardening thing. It’s disgusting. They were friends when we moved in. There’s 42 children in our street – it’s a worry.”
During the investigation, the neighbour confronted Cumming while he was on bail, but Cumming denied the allegations, claiming they were false. Initially, Cumming did not admit to the offences during police interviews but later pleaded guilty on June 30. The police found that he had accumulated a total of 1,053 images of children, spanning various levels of seriousness. Among these, 12 were moving images, and a staggering 822 images depicted extreme pornography involving animals.
Mark Cumming faced multiple charges, including nine counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of possession of extreme pornography. His illegal viewing activities took place over a period from 2010 to 2013. In sentencing, Judge Sarah Munro QC highlighted the extent of his online activity, stating, “By the end of the three-year period, you spent five to six hours a day accessing pornography. Even at work, you would spend an hour doing so. Without people like you, who gain satisfaction from this, the market for this devastating crime would be reduced. You now seem to appreciate the grave matter. You now feel shame, as well you should, both in relation to the case but also to the hurt to your wife and to your neighbour whose internet you used.”
As part of his sentence, Cumming was ordered to complete a sexual treatment programme. His defence lawyer, Sarah Jones, expressed hope that Cumming was committed to preventing future offences, stating that he had spoken with probation officers about his impulses before his sentencing. The court also ordered the destruction of the electronic devices used to store the illegal images, which included two laptops and a mobile phone. Hampshire police had discovered the images during a search of Cumming’s home on December 6, after monitoring his internet activity through the IP address used to access the illicit content. The investigation underscored the importance of vigilant monitoring and the serious consequences of such criminal behaviour.