ANTHONY MOORES FROM WARRINGTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN MANCHESTER
Anthony Moores, a 33-year-old resident of Warrington, has been handed a significant prison sentence following a series of disturbing offences involving online child exploitation.The case unfolded in Manchester, where Moores appeared before the Crown Court to face charges related to his predatory behavior and attempts to engage with minors in sexual activities.
Moores' criminal conduct was particularly egregious given his prior history.
In August 2021, he was already sentenced to four years in prison, with an extended license period of an additional four years, after being convicted of 17 separate offences.
These offences included causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, creating indecent images of a child, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual acts, and engaging in sexual communication with minors.
The crimes for which he was sentenced in 2021 spanned offenses committed in September 2020, and involved targeting vulnerable children and adolescents.
Despite this previous conviction and the warnings issued, Moores continued his illegal activities.
The latest offences, committed in January of the following year, occurred while he was still on bail.
These acts demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of children, further emphasizing his dangerousness.
The court was informed that during this period, Moores engaged in online chats with what he believed were young girls, including an 11-year-old girl in residential care.
He encouraged her to send videos of herself performing sexual acts.
Additionally, he communicated with 12 other girls, aged between 12 and 15, who were in fact decoys operated by a paedophile hunter group.
The police investigation began after devices seized from Moores' home on Buttermarket Street in Warrington, and subsequent analysis, revealed his online activities.
He was arrested in November 2021 while incarcerated at HM Prison Forest Bank in Salford.
The investigation was triggered by his online interactions on the dating site MeetMe, where he believed he was chatting with a 13-year-old girl from Ipswich named Billy.
In reality, the profile was managed by undercover officers.
On January 29 of the previous year, Moores sent a private message to the decoy profile, which included a photo of a young girl.
His messages revealed his intentions and sexual interest, with exchanges such as inquiries about what the girl was looking for and statements indicating he was 'horny.' He disclosed his age as 31, despite the girl claiming to be 13.
The messages continued on WhatsApp, where he asked her about her previous sexual experiences, requested video chats, and even sent explicit photos of himself.
Moores also asked her to send images of her breasts, made inappropriate comments about her genitalia, and discussed meeting up in person.
He expressed love for the girl and encouraged her to perform sexual acts on herself and on him.
The communication ended on February 14, with Moores asking if she liked the photos he sent and whether she wanted to be his girlfriend.
His conduct was thoroughly detailed during the court proceedings, and he remained uncooperative during police interviews, answering most questions with 'no comment.' During the sentencing hearing, defense lawyer Michael Johnson highlighted Moores' learning disability, suggesting it contributed to his offending behavior.
Johnson argued that Moores sought intimacy and used social media platforms as a shield due to issues with self-esteem.
He requested that any sentence imposed run concurrently with his current imprisonment, aiming to avoid additional time behind bars.
However, the judge, Hilary Manley, was unequivocal in her assessment.
She condemned Moores' repeated engagement in sexual communications with minors, emphasizing that he did not care about the age of the girl claiming to be 13.
The judge pointed out that Moores had previously been warned after his initial conviction but chose to reoffend while on bail.
She stated, “You failed to respond to warnings after already being caught, had pleaded guilty and was awaiting sentence, and you did it again.” Judge Manley also addressed the issue of Moores' dangerousness, explaining that her previous view of him as a threat had only been reinforced by his latest actions.
She concluded that he posed a significant risk of causing serious harm through further offences.
As a result, Moores was sentenced to 22 months in prison, to run consecutively with his earlier four-year sentence.
Additionally, he will serve a one-year extended license period once released, and he is required to register as a sex offender for life and comply with a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
Moores' address in court was listed as HMP Altcourse, reflecting his current incarceration status.
The court's decision underscores the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community, particularly vulnerable children in Warrington and beyond.
