In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Natalie Cummins, then 45, of Boscastle, Cornwall, was sentenced for predatory sexual communication with a vulnerable teenage girl. On Thursday, 27 June 2019, Cummins appeared at Truro Crown Court, where she was handed a 12-month community order. The court reported that the defendant, a local cafe owner, had used platforms like WhatsApp and Snapchat to groom the victim over several months.
The investigation found that Cummins exchanged thousands of messages with the teenager under the username “A Big Spoon.” These communications frequently referenced “snuggling,” “cuddling,” and “ass stuff,” and included a WhatsApp group named “Cockalicious.” Cornwall Police were alerted to the activity after a friend of the victim discovered the messages on Snapchat. Despite her husband sitting in the public gallery, Cummins admitted to licking the girl’s face and sending messages such as, “You know where to touch me and for how long.”
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Cummins took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability, as the girl had confided in her regarding self-harm, depression, and parental issues. Truro Crown Court heard from Prosecutor Philip Lee, who argued the messages were not “banter” but represented sexual attraction and grooming. The judge noted that Cummins attempted to cover her tracks by asking for the victim’s login details to delete evidence after being warned that the police had been contacted.
The judge noted that while Cummins was an “intelligent and hard-working woman” who had built a business in Boscastle, Cornwall, her behaviour was “bizarre” and unacceptable. For her actions, she was convicted by a jury of sexual communication for her own gratification. The judge noted that the defendant must “reign in” her sexual innuendo, stating “no more licking” as a condition of her future conduct within the community.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For her crimes in England, Natalie Cummins was handed:
- Community Order: 12 months, including 60 hours of unpaid work.
- Rehabilitation: 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for five years.
- SHPO: A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
- Restraining Order: A two-year order barring all contact with the victim.
- Financial Penalties: Ordered to pay £700 in court costs.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Cummins is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Devon & Cornwall Police and the Probation Service. Due to the nature of the grooming and the “naughty” messages in Boscastle, Cornwall, her management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Cummins must comply with notification requirements regarding her residence in Boscastle for the next five years. Authorities state that her SHPO is a vital tool for managing the risk she poses to children, specifically restricting her use of digital messaging apps. Any breach of her registration conditions, the SHPO, or the terms of her restraining order will result in immediate arrest and a return to Truro Crown Court.
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