STANTON HARCOURT TIKTOK PREDATOR ROBERT MOORS SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN OXFORDSHIRE

In June 2022, a disturbing case involving a predator from Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, culminated in a significant legal sentence after a series of heinous crimes committed through social media platforms. Robert Moors, aged 36, was convicted of engaging in sexually explicit communications with young girls he met on TikTok, a popular social media app. His actions drew widespread condemnation and highlighted the dangers faced by children online.

Moors’s misconduct came to light after two young victims, aged just eight and ten, were targeted through TikTok. The first girl, who was only eight years old, was approached by Moors, who used the pseudonym 'Goldeneye0073' with a James Bond theme. During their online exchanges, he repeatedly inquired about her underwear, specifically asking about her 'Frozen'-themed undergarments. The predator made several requests that, from an adult perspective, were clearly sexual in nature. He even dared the girl to ask her brother to expose himself for five seconds, a request that was both inappropriate and alarming.

Following their conversations on TikTok, the communication shifted to WhatsApp, where Moors continued his disturbing inquiries. The second victim, a ten-year-old girl, was also contacted via TikTok. Moors asked her what she was wearing and suggested she remove her underwear, further demonstrating his predatory intent. The second girl was so distressed by the messages that she approached her father, visibly shaken and crying, to show him the social media exchanges. This prompted her father to report the matter to authorities.

Moors was arrested two days later, on December 21 of the previous year. During the police investigation, his mobile phone was seized and examined by forensic experts. The analysis revealed a horrifying collection of child abuse material, including 95 videos classified in the most severe category, which involves depictions of child rape. Additionally, there were 75 videos in category B and 65 in category C, with children aged between six and eleven years old featured in these recordings.

Throughout the investigation, Moors was interviewed twice but chose to answer all questions with silence, answering 'no comment' to all inquiries. His guilty plea to charges of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images of children led to his sentencing. Judge Michael Gledhill QC sentenced him to four years in prison, emphasizing the severity of his actions. The judge stated, “You opened TikTok, browsed through the material that was openly on view, and selected two girls who happened to be eight and ten years old. You spoke to them directly and asked them to perform sexual acts, albeit not the most serious, but we are talking about girls under 10. Why were you doing it? For your own sexual gratification.”

As part of his sentence, Moors will be registered on the sex offender register for life. Furthermore, he was subjected to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order, designed to restrict his access to children and the internet, aiming to prevent any future offenses. Moors’s case underscores the ongoing dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant monitoring and swift law enforcement action to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.