SIMON MOORE FROM HACKNEY SENTENCED FOR CHILD GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENSES IN LONDON

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community, Simon Moore, a 35-year-old man residing on Treehouse Street in Hackney, East London, has been sentenced to six years in prison for serious crimes involving a young girl. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of online grooming, deception, and unlawful sexual activity that Moore engaged in with a 13-year-old girl.

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, presiding over the case at Southwark Crown Court, did not hold back in condemning Moore’s actions. He described him as “every parent’s nightmare,” emphasizing the grave danger posed by individuals who exploit trust and innocence for their own gratification. The court heard how Moore, a father of four, repeatedly expressed his love and affection for the young girl during online conversations on the Habbo Hotel website, where he used the username Sticky666. These interactions were part of a calculated grooming process aimed at manipulating the teenager.

Moore admitted to abducting the girl in February and engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with her. The court was told that he devised a deceptive scheme to spend a weekend with her, during which he impersonated the father of one of her friends. This ruse involved him making phone calls to her parents, claiming he was taking the girl on a trip to Butlins holiday camp in Skegness. During these conversations, he even discussed how much pocket money she should bring, further convincing her parents of his false identity. By the time her parents uncovered the truth, Moore had already taken the girl away from her home.

The police investigation revealed that after the girl was taken to Moore’s flat in Hackney, she was found there the following day, fully clothed, after a night of unprotected sex. The authorities discovered that Moore had been actively communicating with her online, maintaining daily conversations through his Habbo Hotel account. He had also arranged her train tickets from Hull to London, facilitating her journey to his residence.

The situation escalated when a concerned schoolfriend alerted the girl’s mother about her interactions with Moore. This led to a police raid on Moore’s home, where the girl was found safe and unharmed, but clearly distressed. The police confirmed that she was in Moore’s flat at the time of the raid, and she was subsequently reunited with her family.

It was also revealed that at the time of these offenses, Moore was already on bail for similar allegations involving unlawful sexual activity with another teenager. Following his arrest, Moore was held in custody, during which he sent a letter from prison expressing how much he missed the girl, further highlighting his manipulative behavior.

Judge Rivlin emphasized the severity of Moore’s actions, stating, “The fact that this child became totally infatuated with you and remained so for some time does not begin to justify or excuse anything you did in this case.” He also condemned Moore’s deception in orchestrating the weekend getaway, calling it “a terrible trick” played on the girl’s family. The judge pointed out that Moore was on bail for similar offenses involving internet grooming and underage sex at the time of the latest crimes.

While the judge acknowledged that a longer sentence might have been appropriate under current legislation—since new laws would have allowed for a maximum of ten years for such offenses—he ultimately sentenced Moore to six years in prison. Additionally, Moore was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.