Connor Moorst

A 28-year-old man from Runcorn, Cheshire, has pleaded guilty to possessing a large collection of indecent images of child sexual abuse. Connor Moorst, residing in Grangemoor, appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he admitted to the serious offences.

The court heard that Moorst possessed 34 category A images—the most severe classification—51 category B images, and 99 category C images. These images, which depicted children as young as four years old, covered a period of 15 years. The prosecution revealed that the material was discovered following intelligence received by police officers.

On 11 March 2024, officers from Cheshire Constabulary attended Moorst's home address and seized electronic devices believed to contain the illegal content. During an initial interview, Moorst acknowledged ownership of the devices but denied the offences. However, after a forensic examination confirmed the presence of the images, he was re-interviewed and offered no comment.

The prosecutor emphasised the gravity of the case, noting that Moorst had no previous convictions but that the images involved very young children. His defence barrister requested a pre-sentence report, highlighting the early guilty plea submitted by his client, and sought to have the sentencing adjourned to Warrington Magistrates Court for convenience.

The bench granted the request, and Moorst is scheduled to be sentenced on 9 December 2024 at Warrington Magistrates Court. In the meantime, strict bail conditions were imposed, prohibiting him from living with anyone under 18 without written approval from social services, requiring written permission for any unsupervised contact with minors, and mandating notification to police of any address change within 24 hours. Additionally, Moorst was ordered to register as a sex offender at Runcorn Police Station within three days.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts by Cheshire Constabulary to combat child sexual exploitation through digital means, with the seized devices providing crucial evidence in the investigation.