PHILIP MONCASTER FROM ALVASTON JAILED FOR CHILD INDECENCY ATTEMPT IN DERBY

In January 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving a pensioner from Alvaston who was convicted and sentenced for attempting to exploit a young girl online. The individual, 71-year-old Philip Moncaster, was found guilty of engaging in predatory behavior aimed at a 10-year-old girl through social media platforms.

According to court proceedings, Moncaster initiated contact with the young victim via Facebook in late 2016. He claimed that they shared mutual friends on the social network and subsequently sent her a friend request. The girl, who did not accept the request, confided in her mother about the interaction. However, the situation escalated when the girl forgot to bring her mobile phone to school one day. Her mother, upon retrieving the device, discovered messages from Moncaster. Posing as her daughter, the mother responded to the messages, which prompted Moncaster to send a pornographic image of a boy and request that the girl send him indecent images of herself.

Alarmed by this behavior, the girl’s mother contacted the police. Authorities responded swiftly, arresting Moncaster at his residence on Charles Road, Alvaston. During questioning, he admitted that his electronic devices contained child abuse images. An analysis of his devices revealed a disturbing collection: 17 images classified as the most serious Category A, four in Category B, and 47 in Category C.

Moncaster pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to incite a child under 13 into sexual activity, three counts of making indecent images of children, and distributing an indecent image. The case was heard at Derby Crown Court, where Judge Ebraham Mooncey sentenced him to one year in prison. The judge emphasized that at his age, Moncaster was fully aware of the wrongfulness of his actions and did not require intervention, but rather a deterrent to prevent others from similar conduct.

Furthermore, Judge Mooncey imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting Moncaster’s contact with individuals under 16 and limiting his internet usage for a decade. Prosecutor Lucky Thandi highlighted the severity of the case, underscoring the danger posed by such predatory behavior and the importance of stringent sentencing to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.