Dark web paedophile who coached abusers jailed

A prolific paedophile has been jailed after travelling to Nepal and the Philippines to sexually abuse children.

David Mould, 69, of Ivyhouse Lane, Hastings, East Sussex, also coached others on the dark web how to groom victims.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said he was an "influential user" of an international online community.

Mould was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court and will serve 21 years in prison and a further seven years on licence.

While travelling Mould befriended young boys, often giving them money and gifts, in order to groom and then sexually abuse them.

As a moderator of a dark web site, Mould provided advice for paedophiles and encouraged other users to commit similar offences on an international scale.

Investigators said he told users precisely where to go, how to find, approach and groom boys, as well as what sort of toys and sweets to take with them.

Mould also possessed four "paedophile manuals" and provided detailed technical advice on how to encrypt and wipe devices to avoid detection.

Mould pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including engaging in sexual activity with children as young as 13 and encouraging or inciting the exploitation of children.

He was also convicted of four counts of possessing a paedophile manual, three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Mould was banned from travelling to 22 countries as part of his five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, was issued with a restraining order, and will have to sign the sex offenders register.

Jeanette Smith, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "David Mould travelled to the Philippines and Nepal, where he targeted vulnerable children, exploiting and manipulating them, to sexually abuse them.

"Not content with satisfying his own sexual desires, he used the dark web to advise and encourage other paedophiles how they might best commit equally horrific crimes."

Bringing the prosecution, the NCA described Mould as a "transnational child sex offender".

Hazel Stewart, from the NCA, said: "David Mould is a prolific sexual predator, who dedicated his time and money to abusing children and encouraging others to do the same.

"It was clear that he was respected and admired by other like-minded individuals online, where he provided offenders with a safe environment in which their sexual inclinations were validated."

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