Highlands dad jailed for grooming young girl on web
A Sheriff told a 30 year old dad who groomed an 11-year-old girl on the internet that jail was the only appropriate sentence for him.
Thomas Moodie’s solicitor Eilidh Macdonald pleaded with Sheriff Margaret Neilson for a non-custodial community based disposal which would allow the authorities to try and rehabilitate Moodie over an extended period of up to three years.
A prison sentence she said would mean there would be no opportunity for rehabilitation.
And because the offence had been reduced from solemn to summary level by the Crown the maximum sentence the Sheriff could impose was one of 12 months.
Moodie would be released after six months for good behaviour.
Ms Macdonald accepted the social work report "did not make good reading" and its author recommended a period of imprisonment.
But she said if he was jailed he would not engage in the rehabilitation process whereas if he was given a community payback order he would be placed under supervision for three years.
Sheriff Neilson said the court was in a difficult position because the Crown for good reasons had prosecuted the case at summary levels.
She said Moodie seemed to be minimising his involvement and placing fault on the child.
"The content of the report is alarming and concerning. This behaviour went on for a long time and the public interest can only be served by a custodial sentence."
She jailed him for 10 months and placed him on he sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
The court heard earlier Moodie, of Millerton Avenue, met the child through a dance class then began contacting her through social networking sites using a fake Facebook profile.
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.
At one stage, he hinted in a message that he was going to leave his wife for the youngster.
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.
The fiscal had told the court: "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 Mr 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."
Sentence had been deferredfor background reports.
As well as jailing him Sheriff Neilson placed Moodie on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.