Highlands dad groomed 11 year old girl on internet
A 30 year-old dad who groomed an 11 year-old girl on the internet will be sentenced next month.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard how Thomas Moodie met the child through a dance class then began contacting her through social networking sites using a fake Facebook profile.
Sheriff Margaret Nielson heard that the profile was https://www.facebook.com/johne.bravo.5 and is still online.
Moodie, a bearded 30 year-old of Millerton Avenue, Inverness, sat in the dock as details of how he groomed the girl emerged in court.
Depute fiscal Stewart MacIver revealed he had 159 Facebook friends and of that total only three of them were male, and the majority were young good looking women.
The Sheriff heard Moodie eventually told his young victim who he really was but he continued to contact her.
Messages became more inappropriate and sexualised, suggesting a threesome with one of her friends, regularly calling her ‘gorgeous’ and at Christmas, 2013 he wrote: ‘I’d give you a present but I would go to jail for it.’
Moodie admitted intentionally sending a sexual written communication to a child under 13 years and making use of social networking sites to send inappropriate and sexualised comments to her.
The offence took place between July 30, 2013 and January 7, 2014 were read out.
At one stage, he hinted in a message that he was going to leave his wife for the youngster.
Mr MacIver told Sheriff Margaret Neilson: "The offence came to light when a friend of the girl told her mother and she in turn informed the victim’s mother. The police were then informed.
"He used a false Facebook profile called John E Bravo which had a cartoon character for his photograph. He knew the girl from someone who attended her dance class and he sent her a friend request.
"It was accepted and eventually they were in daily contact, mostly late at night. He often referred to her as ‘gorgeous’ and ‘babes’ and would end some messages with kisses.
"On one occasion he suggested doing magic tricks for her and added ‘I can do other things but you are too young to hear about that.’
"There were other messages which said they loved each other.and that she was ‘a wee hottie’ and ‘stunning.’"
On December 21, 2013 Nr MacIver said it appeared Moodie was concerned that she may tell her friends who he was and he wrote: ‘I won’t tell anyone if you don’t tell anyone I am a perv.’
Five days later, on December 26 he posted that he had a fight before with his partner indicating that he was moving out.
"He asked his victim if she and her friend ever wanted a threesome."
"When police arrested and interviewed Moodie, he conceded his comments were inappropriate and hinted at having sex. " Mr MacIver added. "But he said he would never have acted upon them."
Background reports were called for and Moodie, who will be sentenced on April 30, was placed on the sex offenders register and he had his bail continued.
