April 2021

Aberavon vicar sentenced for 200 indecent images of children

A vicar has been sentenced to an 18 month community order after admitting looking at hundreds of indecent images of children.

The Rev Canon Nigel Cahill, the Rector of Aberavon, was suspended from his duties after being arrested at his Port Talbot home in June last year.

The 61-year-old had pleaded guilty to two offences of making indecent images of children between 2016 and 2020.

Judge Paul Thomas QC said Cahill would suffer significant public disgrace.

At a hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, Cahill was also ordered to take part in a 45-day rehabilitation activity and to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.

Judge Thomas said prison was not appropriate due to Cahill’s lack of previous convictions, but the vicar had let a “large number of people down”.

“They will feel a sense of betrayal by a man they looked up to and relied on for spiritual guidance,” he said.

Cahill was arrested at his home in June after police found 219 indecent images of children on his devices.

The court had heard how Cahill used aliases when talking to people via Skype, and police cyber experts found his search history indicated a sexual interest in children.

Prosecutor Julie Sullivan told magistrates: “Mr Cahill said he was online talking to someone and looking at pictures of grown men.

“He said: “I’m not denying I have looked at younger boys. It’s a problem I’ve had for years when I’m stressed. I drink and look at pictures online.”

March 2021

Reverend found with hundreds of indecent images of children on devices

A clergyman caught with hundreds of indecent images of children told police he looked at “younger boys”.

The Reverend Canon Nigel Cahill, the rector of Aberavon and the parish priest at St Agnes Church in Port Talbot, was cautioned on June 25 last year when police officers, assisted by the digital forensic cyber crime unit, executed a warrant at his home address in Forge Road, Port Talbot.

It came after police were informed that an image of a child had been uploaded from an internet source at The Rectory.

The 61-year-old told officers: “I was online talking to someone and we were looking at pictures of older men and there was younger ones. I’m not denying I look at younger boys. There is no point denying it.”

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard prosecutor Julie Sullivan explain that police recovered a number of digital devices belonging to Cahill and he provided them with details on how to access each device.

He also told them that the names used on devices were aliases.

The devices were digitally examined and were found to have 216 indecent images of children. He was subsequently arrested.

Police investigations led them to another address in Cardiff that Cahill had access to and a search there also found another device with indecent images and a sexualised chat.

When he was first interviewed by police Cahill said in a prepared statement that he accepted he had used the digital devices to access improper images and that what he accessed was improper and wrong.

He admitted he had a problem and would accept any help on offer to him before adding he did not wish to make any further comment due to his “high emotional state”.

Cahill was again interviewed by police on February 1 and he gave a largely no comment interview.

The court heard how there were internet searches on Cahill’s devices which indicated his sexual interest in children.

Appearing in court on Wednesday Cahill pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent photographs of a child

Cahill will now be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on March 29.