BRIAN MOAKES CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN FLEETWOOD

In May 2018, authorities uncovered a disturbing case involving Brian Moakes, a man with ties to Fleetwood, who was found to possess a significant collection of indecent images of children. The investigation revealed that Moakes, aged 58 and residing on Hatfield Avenue in Fleetwood, had downloaded these illicit images onto his personal computer approximately five years prior to his arrest.

Moakes had previously worked as a civilian administrative worker for the Metropolitan Police, a role that involved clerical and support duties within the police force. However, in 2016, he relocated to Lancashire with his new partner, bringing his offending computer with him. The police discovered that his computer contained over 160 vile images, including 25 classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe under law.

The police executed a warrant at Moakes' residence at 8 a.m. on June 24, 2016. During the search, Moakes did not deny his involvement; instead, he immediately admitted to the authorities, stating simply, “It was me.” The investigation further revealed that the images had been downloaded between September and November 2013.

Moakes faced multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images of children. During the court proceedings at Preston’s Sessions House, the prosecution, led by Hanifa Patel, presented evidence that included a search of his Dell laptop. The examination of the device uncovered a disturbing search history containing terms such as “paedo boys,” “incest,” and “baby girl and baby boy,” indicating a disturbing interest in illegal content.

In his police interview, Moakes admitted to viewing child images and disclosed that he had been suffering from depression at the time. His defense and the court recognized the seriousness of his actions, but also considered his mental health issues.

Judge Simon Newell sentenced Moakes to an eight-month jail term, which was suspended for two years. Additionally, he imposed an alcohol treatment order and a sexual harm prevention order to monitor and restrict Moakes’ activities moving forward. The judge emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “What you have to be aware of is it’s not just a question of looking at images. Somewhere in this country or another country someone is abusing those children. It’s really happening – it’s not made up, it’s not a cartoon, its not actors – and that wouldn’t happen if there weren’t people looking at it on a computer.”

This case highlights the ongoing issue of online child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such heinous crimes, especially involving individuals with prior connections to law enforcement agencies, such as Moakes, who was once part of the police support system in Fleetwood and beyond.