WILLIAM MOFFAT FROM HANLEY CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN NORTH WALES

In August 2014, authorities uncovered disturbing evidence of child exploitation involving William Moffat, a resident of Hanley. The investigation was triggered after Moffat himself contacted the police, claiming to be posing as a schoolgirl on Facebook in an effort to entrap an individual he suspected of engaging in inappropriate conduct with minors.

According to reports, Moffat admitted to pretending to be a 12-year-old girl online, a tactic he believed would help him gather information or catch someone he suspected of child abuse. However, during a subsequent search of his residence on Warrington Road in Hanley, Staffordshire Police uncovered a far more troubling reality. The officers discovered numerous indecent images of children, ranging in age from four to 14, stored on his computer. In addition to these images, they found videos depicting extreme pornography, further highlighting the severity of his offenses.

During questioning, Moffat explained that he had accessed various sexual content websites on the internet, which he believed was the source of the images found on his device. He acknowledged that the images appeared inappropriate but claimed he had no specific sexual interest in children under 16. He also stated that he believed he had downloaded the images while under the influence of alcohol, suggesting a lack of premeditation. Prosecutor Heather Chamberlin noted that Moffat had taken some indecent photographs himself, which were also stored on his computer, but emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest these images had been shared with others.

William Moffat faced multiple charges, including making indecent photographs of a child, possessing such images, and possessing extreme pornographic material. During the court proceedings at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, his defense attorney, Andrew McInness, highlighted Moffat’s history of drug and alcohol abuse but clarified that he had no prior convictions related to sexual offenses. McInness also acknowledged that Moffat admitted to downloading most of the images and accepted possession of them.

Judge David Fletcher sentenced Moffat to a prison term of 12 months, which was suspended for two years. Additionally, Moffat, who has since relocated from Hanley to North Wales, was subjected to a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, restricting his activities and contact with minors. The judge remarked on the seriousness of the case, emphasizing that the nature of the images and the age of the children involved made the behavior particularly egregious.