Lee Moffat, a 29-year-old former sheriff court custody manager, posed as a female escort named 'Danielle' to con men he met online, but was spared a custodial sentence at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on July 2, 2026. Moffat targeted seven victims between October 2016 and October 2018, attempting to extract between £50 and £200 from each for promises of naked images, videos, and escort services. However, he only succeeded in obtaining a total of £200.
Discovery of the Fraud
The scam came to light during a police raid on Moffat's home in Armadale, West Lothian, as part of an investigation into stolen items from the capital court. Officers discovered WhatsApp chats on his phone between Moffat and the seven men, where he had duped them into believing they were communicating with a female escort. Fiscal depute Mark Keane told the court that the victims were asked to transfer cash in exchange for explicit content.
Previous Convictions and Thefts
Moffat had already been convicted for stealing police equipment, including a stab-proof vest and batons, from the police staff room at the court while employed as a GeoAmey custody manager. Over a nine-year period, he also pilfered a warrant card, utility belt, lanyards, and a Crown Office ID card. He was found in possession of a black fleece jacket with a police badge sewn on, with the indictment stating the offences were 'calculated to suggest you were a constable'. He was sacked and jailed for 12 months in January 2025 at Livingston Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to the thefts.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Moffat returned to Edinburgh Sheriff Court in June 2026, where he pleaded guilty to forming a fraudulent scheme and obtaining money by pretending to be a female named Danielle on various online platforms. Allegations of obtaining sexually explicit images from the victims were dropped by prosecutors before the plea was accepted. Solicitor Victoria Good, defending, noted that Moffat was only 20 at the time of the fraud and had since gained employment as a driver after early release from prison. She argued that the amount gained from the escort fraud was 'very limited'.
Community Payback Order
Sheriff Alistair Noble, sentencing on July 2, stated: 'You have pled guilty to involvement of a fraud which took place between October 2016 and October 2018. The charge is obviously very old and only came to light when you were being investigated in a more recent and serious catalogue of offending and for that you were dealt by way of a period imprisonment. It doesn't appear to me prison is necessary here.' Moffat was sentenced to a community payback order requiring 115 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months as a direct alternative to custody.
