DANIEL MOORE CAUGHT IN CONSETT AND WALLSEND IN SEXUAL GROOMING SCANDAL

In December 2017, a disturbing case unfolded involving Daniel Moore, a man from Wallsend, who was caught attempting to meet a girl he believed to be 13 years old for sexual activity in Consett, County Durham. The incident highlights the ongoing dangers posed by online grooming and the efforts of law enforcement and community groups to combat such crimes.

Moore, aged 20 at the time, was residing in Consett when he engaged in a series of online conversations with what he thought was a teenage girl named Chloe. Unbeknownst to him, the profile was operated by a paedophile hunting group based in Devon, which had set up the fake account to catch predators. The exchanges took place over several days, from September 18 to September 24, during which Moore expressed increasingly explicit intentions.

Prosecutor Andrew Finlay detailed to Durham Crown Court that Moore discussed intimate topics with the fake profile, including hugging, kissing, sharing a bed, and concerns about being caught by her parents. He also inquired about her readiness for sex and whether she might become pregnant. The conversation revealed Moore’s intent to pursue a sexual encounter with the girl, and he initially planned to meet her in Newcastle. When that plan fell through, he made a second attempt to meet her at Consett bus station, suggesting they could have sex in some bushes nearby.

Following these developments, members of the Devon-based paedophile hunting group relayed the information to the Guardians of the North, a community safety organization operating in the North-East. Acting on this intelligence, members of the group went to Consett bus station where they confronted Moore. When police arrived to arrest him, Moore initially claimed he had gone to Consett to meet friends at a pub. However, he later admitted that he had made arrangements to meet “Chloe” for sexual activity.

During questioning, Moore stated that he would not have gone through with the act and expressed remorse, describing his actions as stupid and wrong. The court also learned that Moore had a prior conviction; in January 2016, he received a caution for using Facebook to engage in sexual chats with a 12-year-old girl, indicating a pattern of concerning behavior.

Judge Christopher Prince sentenced Moore to 16 months in prison, though the term was suspended for two years. The court also mandated that Moore participate in a rehabilitation program aimed at addressing his offending behavior. Additionally, he was placed under a sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders’ register for ten years, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.