ANDREW MOFFAT FROM KENILWORTH AND NOTTINGHAM CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE MATERIALS AND FAILED TO REGISTER ADDRESS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Kenilworth and Nottingham, Andrew Moffat, a known sex offender, was found guilty of possessing indecent images of children and failing to comply with registration requirements. The incident came to light after police investigations revealed that Moffat, who had a history of sexual offenses, was secretly residing at an address different from his registered one, with a young boy under the age of four living there.

Despite the presence of the child, authorities confirmed that no inappropriate conduct occurred between Moffat and the young boy. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Moffat, who was previously jailed in 2004 for indecently assaulting three children aged between seven and 14, was legally obliged to inform police of any change of address or contact with minors. However, he failed to do so, which led to further charges.

Police discovered that Moffat was regularly staying at an unregistered address in Nottingham, where a child under 18 was living. The child's mother expressed her outrage upon learning of Moffat’s past, stating, “I’m absolutely disgusted how he’s taken my trust.”

In November of the previous year, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the flat in Clifton, Nottingham, where Moffat was registered as residing. During the search, they uncovered three items containing indecent images: a DVD and two films, each approximately ninety minutes long, depicting nude boys aged between ten and twelve years. Additionally, officers found two printed A4-sized color photographs of naked boys aged between eight and ten years.

Andrew Moffat, aged 36, whose last known address was The Glen in Clifton, was found to have purchased the films online, believing them to be legal, according to his police interview. His lawyer, Digby Johnson, explained that Moffat, who worked casually delivering fish and chips in Clifton, had previously been a carer for his late aunt in Top Valley. Following her passing, as well as the death of two other relatives, Moffat reportedly became increasingly isolated and introverted. To cope with loneliness, he purchased approximately 30 DVDs from a website accessible to the general public, not the dark web, and downloaded numerous images.

Judge Michael Stokes QC sentenced Moffat to three years in prison on Thursday. The judge remarked, “You must have known you were taking a tremendous risk, and anyone aware of your background and what you were doing would have immediately understood that you should not have been where you were.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Moffat pleaded guilty to failing to register an additional address and was sentenced to 12 months for this offence, to run concurrently with the other sentences. He also received two years concurrently for possessing and making indecent images of children, which were to run consecutively to the other sentences, totaling an additional two years.

Furthermore, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was imposed, prohibiting Moffat from having any unsupervised contact with children. His case has also been referred to the barring agency to prevent him from working with minors in the future.

During police interviews, Moffat claimed that he purchased the films online, believing they were legal. His legal representative highlighted that Moffat, who had been employed delivering fish and chips, had previously been a carer for his late relatives but had become increasingly isolated after their deaths.

Historically, Moffat’s criminal record includes a conviction from October 2004, when he was sentenced to six years in prison for indecent assault and gross indecency involving a group of young girls. The court heard that he had taken the girls back to his flat, encouraged them to drink alcohol, and watched pornography with them. The prosecution described Moffat as an “insidious predatory paedophile” who befriended his victims.

Judge Marten Coates, who presided over the case at Warwick Crown Court, adjourned sentencing for further reports. The court was told that the girls, who nicknamed him ‘Paedophile Andy,’ were considered willing participants; however, the court clarified that their age meant they could not legally consent to such activities. It was also revealed that Moffat had a prior conviction for gross indecency with a 12-year-old girl over 20 years ago, further underscoring his long history of offending.