Santhoshkumar Mouleeswaran

Santhoshkumar Mouleeswaran, a 35-year-old man from the Ipswich area with no fixed address, was sentenced at Suffolk Magistrates' Court for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. The case came to light after Mouleeswaran initiated contact with an online profile created by the group 'Angels of Innocence', which poses as minors to expose potential groomers.

Between February 2 and March 2, 2024, Mouleeswaran exchanged messages with the decoy, who presented herself as a 14-year-old girl from Leeds. He repeatedly referenced her age during their conversations, which began with a six-hour exchange. In these messages, Mouleeswaran expressed desires to bathe and shower with the decoy, discussed kissing and sexual acts, and suggested 'virtual sex'. He stated, 'I can’t do it to you as you are 14 years old, dear,' acknowledging her purported age while continuing the inappropriate dialogue.

Mouleeswaran requested a video call, but the decoy declined, citing her mother's presence at home. Subsequent conversations involved plans for the decoy to travel to Ipswich to meet him, with Mouleeswaran warning that he would be 'really annoyed' if she failed to appear. The court heard that these interactions were part of an attempt to groom what he believed was a minor for sexual purposes.

On December 1, 2023, Mouleeswaran admitted the charge. During the sentencing hearing on Friday, he pleaded for leniency, saying, 'Give me a chance – I’ve not done anything intentionally.' The presiding magistrates rejected his defence, imposing a 12-month custodial sentence. Additionally, he was required to sign the sex offenders register for five years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order to restrict and monitor his online activities.

The case highlights the role of paedophile hunter groups like Angels of Innocence in identifying individuals who target children online. Such groups use decoys who explicitly state their age in profiles and conversations, leading to charges of attempted sexual communication since no actual children are involved. Suffolk Constabulary provided the image of Mouleeswaran in connection with the case.