Dean Moore, a 31-year-old paedophile from South Shields, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by deleting over 14,000 internet search entries, communicating with a child on TikTok, and possessing an indecent image of two boys aged between seven and nine.
Breach of Court Order
Moore was previously jailed for three years in 2023 after a shop worker discovered an indecent image of a young child on his phone. He was also made subject to an indefinite SHPO, which prohibited him from communicating with children under 18 and from deleting his internet history. However, police seized two of his mobile phones in January 2026 and found that he had violated these terms.
According to prosecutor Gurjot Kaur, a police officer visited Moore's home in January after receiving information about potential breaches. Moore initially denied having a Snapchat account but later admitted he might have one. Two phones, a Motorola and a Samsung, were seized. On the Motorola, Snapchat had been downloaded but removed, and analysis revealed 7,075 deleted web search entries. A further 7,485 deleted entries were found on the Samsung phone.
Indecent Image and Communication with Child
An indecent image of two boys, aged seven to nine, was also discovered on the Motorola phone. During police interview, Moore admitted to sending a photo of his genitals via Snapchat but claimed he did not know if it was sent to a child. He also confirmed creating a TikTok account and communicating with a child under 18, though he denied any sexual intent.
Moore had 14 previous offences on his record, spanning from 2019, and had been in court as recently as 2025 for failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.
Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
John Wilkinson, defending, stated that Moore, a former forklift truck driver, suffered from anxiety and depression and was realistic about facing prison. He noted that Moore had pleaded guilty to all charges, which he described as the best mitigation in the case.
Judge Carolyn Scott, sentencing Moore to 24 months, remarked: "These are very serious breaches. There is a very good reason your Sexual Harm Prevention Order includes such prohibitions to prevent any harm being caused to others. You ignored that and went and did it anyway." She expressed belief that Moore could not be rehabilitated in the community.
Moore pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a SHPO, intentionally sending a photo of his genitals, and making an indecent image of a child. He must also sign the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years, in addition to his existing indefinite SHPO.
