A former Pets at Home manager has been jailed after encouraging young girls on the internet to perform sex acts involving their pet dogs.
Brian John Moore held his head in his hands and wept as details of his crimes were read out at Mold Crown Court.
The court heard how he had been prowling the internet and making contact with girls as young as 12, inciting them to indulge him between 2008 and 2014.Indecent images of children had been found on his computer, but the examination of the machine showed he had “sunk to greater depths of depravity”, engaging in “very explicit conversations with young girls aged about 12”.
Moore, 48, formerly of Connah’s Quay, claimed it was “fantasy chat” and “faceless fiction”.
Prosecuting barrister John Philpotts said when officers arrived at his then home, Moore became very distressed and made gradual admissions over three interviews.
It became clear he had used search terms which showed an interest in young girls, and the chat logs showed how he incited young children to indulge in sex acts.
Moore, now of Aldford Road, Upton, Chester, was said by defending barrister Gareth Roberts to be thoroughly ashamed and contrite. He said his client sat in the dock a “thoroughly broken man”.
Mr Roberts said Moore appreciated what he had done was completely wrong and had a devastating effect on the people he loved, and more importantly on the young women whose lives had been affected by his behaviour.
For most of his life he had been a law abiding and productive man, said Mr Roberts. He had been married 22 years, had a young daughter, and had for 19 years been manager of a Pets at Home store where he was well liked and respected.
He lost that job and for the last 11 months had been a litter picker until details of the offences he had admitted got into the public domain and he lost that job as well.
His problems began in 2008 when he started to access lawful pornography. It then extended to illegal child images before he started to engage with children in the way described.
Moore sat with his head in his hands in the dock throughout the sentencing hearing and cried for most of the time.
Judge Geraint Walters told him: “No child should ever be exposed to such vulgar exchanges.
“It is, quite frankly, hard to imagine a more depraved thing to do to someone so young. They will not forget.”
He was sentenced to 32 months, ordered to sign the sex offender register indefinitely, and was made the subject of a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.
