KEVIN BARNETT AND SUSAN BARNETT FROM BARROW INVOLVED IN CHILD SEX PLOT NEAR MIDDLESBROUGH AND SUNDERLAND

In August 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving Kevin Barnett and Susan Barnett, both from Barrow, along with Nikita Moore, also known as Nicola Williams, who has ties to Barrow and other locations. The trio was involved in a series of heinous plans to sexually exploit young children, including babies and toddlers, with their activities uncovered through police investigations.

Kevin Barnett, aged 28 at the time, and his wife Susan Barnett, also 28, were convicted in 2015 of conspiring to commit child sexual offences and facilitating the sexual abuse of minors. Their crimes were committed through encrypted messaging on WhatsApp, where they shared their depraved fantasies and discussed plans to sexually assault children. Nikita Moore, then 22, was also implicated in these conversations, which included disturbing exchanges about abusing children and even fantasizing about having a child to abuse together with Barnett. Moore, who later changed her name to Nicola Williams, was convicted of conspiracy to commit child sexual offences.

Following their convictions, Kevin Barnett received a six-year prison sentence, while Susan Barnett was sentenced to four and a half years. Nikita Moore was sentenced to four years. All three served part of their sentences and were released in 2017. Kevin Barnett has since moved to Southport, and Susan Barnett, now known as Lilli McGuire, has relocated to Liverpool. Nikita Moore, who is now pregnant with twins and has dyed her hair again, has returned to Barrow after a brief stay in Cockermouth.

In a separate but related legal development, Moore appeared before Teesside Crown Court in August 2020, where she pleaded guilty to breaching her sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and failing to notify authorities of her change of address. Prosecutor Paul Newcombe stated that Moore and her partner fled the Sunderland area on August 19 of the previous year but did not register her new address in Middlesbrough for over three weeks. During this period, she was found to have been in contact with young children, breaching her SHPO restrictions.

Moore’s defense argued that she and her partner fled Sunderland out of fear for their safety and sought refuge in Teesside. They also pointed out that she registered her new address in Middlesbrough relatively quickly and that a pre-sentence report categorized her as being at only a 'slight' risk of re-offending. Judge Stephen Ashurst acknowledged her past offenses, noting her previous imprisonment for serious sexual offenses in 2015, and emphasized that she had complied with her notification requirements until her recent breach. The judge also highlighted that Moore and her partner had suffered abuse before fleeing their previous area, but criticized their failure to inform police promptly.

As a result, Moore received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with an order to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities. She was also subjected to four months of electronic monitoring via an ankle tag. The court made it clear that there was no evidence to suggest she was actively trying to lure children into her property, which influenced the leniency of her sentence.

The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses, especially those who continue to breach legal restrictions and pose risks to the community. The authorities remain vigilant in monitoring such offenders, and the courts continue to impose sentences aimed at protecting the public while considering individual circumstances and risks.