Ben Cullen Charged with Creation of Indecent Child Images Amid Raise the Colours Controversy

Ben Cullen, a 45-year-old activist from Wallingford, is facing three counts of making indecent images of children at Reading Crown Court. The indictment alleges that on 25 March 2021 he created 22 Category A photographs (including one moving image), 36 Category B pseudo-photographs, and 20 Category C images. A jury was sworn in on 1 July 2024, and the trial is scheduled to conclude within the following week. Cullen has entered a not-guilty plea.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

Cullen was a leading figure in the Oxfordshire branch of the nationalist “Raise the Colours” flag-campaign, which displayed Union flags on lampposts across Oxfordshire from 2022 onward. The movement attracted more than 4,000 Facebook followers before the page was removed. In June 2024, Oxfordshire County Council obtained a High Court injunction prohibiting Cullen and three others from placing flags on public structures, citing safety risks, trespass and obstruction. The council’s action was separate from the criminal case but highlighted heightened scrutiny of the campaign’s public activities.

Oxford Mail

• 14 Aug 2013 – 25 Mar 2021: Period during which prosecutors say the alleged images were created or downloaded (source 2).

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• 25 Mar 2021: Cullen’s arrest; forensic analysis of a white laptop uncovers the images.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• June 2024: High Court injunction against flag-raising on public infrastructure.

Oxford Mail

• 1 Jul 2024: Jury sworn; Cullen appears at Reading Crown Court.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Category A: 22 photographs (one moving image).

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Category B: 36 pseudo-photographs.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Category C: 20 images.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Total: 78 indecent images identified on the seized laptop.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Prosecutor Christopher Pembridge (Thames Valley Police) emphasized that the evidence links the images directly to Cullen’s device, stating that “the wording of the charges does not relate to the physical ‘taking of photos’ but to how the images came to be on that computer.”

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• Raise the Colours issued a social-media statement asserting it was unaware of the allegations, that Cullen was not affiliated with the national movement, and that it would not comment further while the case proceeds.

Birmingham Mail

• Oxfordshire County Council reiterated its injunction, noting the need to prevent “safety risks, trespass and obstruction” associated with flag displays.

Oxford Mail

• Judge Neil Millard instructed the jury that the charges focus on the creation or possession of the images, not on any act of photographing children.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

Legal analysts and child-protection advocates have highlighted the convergence of extremist political networks and serious sexual offences, warning that “extreme ideological networks on encrypted platforms often provide structural cover for deeply predatory behaviours.” Critics argue that movements lacking formal safeguarding policies risk enabling abuse and call for greater transparency and accountability.

Raise the Flag Activist Due in Court For Making Indecent Images

Sources differ on the temporal scope of the alleged offences: one report cites a single day (25 March 2021) for all images, while another describes a span from August 2013 to March 2021. Additionally, the prosecution frames the case around creation and possession, whereas Cullen’s initial police interview claimed he was “completely unaware” of the images on the laptop. These discrepancies remain unresolved pending trial evidence.

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• “There’s only one person who could be responsible for downloading those images - and that’s the man sitting in the dock.” — Christopher Pembridge, Prosecutor

Ben Cullen denies downloading over 70 indecent child images

• “Raise the Colours wishes to make clear that we were not aware, and have never previously been aware, of the allegations reported concerning Ben Cullen (Raise the Colours Oxfordshire).” — Raise the Colours (official statement)

Birmingham Mail

• “Every movement that claims to stand for protecting women and children carries a special responsibility.” — Dorset Eye editorial

Raise the Flag Activist Due in Court For Making Indecent Images

• “Collective guilt has no place in a fair society.” — Dorset Eye commentary

Raise the Flag Activist Due in Court For Making Indecent Images

• “The Wallingford case underscores a grim, universal reality: the proliferation of extreme ideological networks on encrypted platforms often provides structural cover for deeply predatory behaviors, necessitating aggressive, technologically advanced policing on a global scale.” — Streamline Feed analysis

Prominent 'Raise the Colours' Figure Faces Court Over Category A Indecent Images Charges

The trial will resume at Reading Crown Court later in July, with sentencing guidelines indicating that a Category A conviction can attract a lengthy custodial term and mandatory registration on the UK Sex Offenders Register. The outcome may influence how grassroots political campaigns address internal safeguarding and how law-enforcement agencies monitor extremist groups for related criminal activity.

Prominent 'Raise the Colours' Figure Faces Court Over Category A Indecent Images Charges