Jail for 'Luna Storm' web pervert who groomed and raped two girls

Eugene Molloy gained their confidence before he pretended to be the fictitious boy's father who threatened to kill his "son" if they did not have sex with him.

Both victims complied with the truck driver in the misguided belief they were protecting "Deano", who they considered to be their boyfriend, Preston Crown Court heard.

Molloy used the photograph of a good-looking young man from the West Midlands area who would unwittingly become the face of "Deano" on a social networking website.

He went on to groom the girls for between six and 12 months before he put the second stage of his plan into practice.

Sentencing Molloy to a minimum of eight years in jail for public protection, Judge Edward Slinger said: "This was clear plotting, grooming and manipulation of these young girls by a devious and cunning man."

Nick Kennedy, prosecuting, said Molloy, of Filey, North Yorkshire, initially targeted the girls from the Preston area - who were aged 14 and 15 at the time - through a website called Luna Storm.

The contact continued via MSN instant messaging and then Molloy pretending to be Deano on the phone.

He said: "It is the case for the Crown that the defendant is and was a completely persuasive, convincing and manipulative individual who exerted a very considerable amount of control over both girls.

"Both regarded the fictitious Deano as their boyfriend and appeared to become very fond of him."

Molloy met his first victim in person on Valentine's Day 2007 in the guise of Deano's father. He lied that his son had been rushed to hospital and that he was there to give her a present from him.

"This was all part of a very calculated grooming process for the ultimate purpose of his own sexual gratification of these girls," the prosecutor said.

"After a period of time he moved on to the second phase. Both girls were told by 'Deano' that he was being threatened and assaulted by his father.

"This was in mobile phone conversations with the defendant who pretended to be Deano telling the girls he was the victim.

"Then in further phone calls the defendant posed as Deano's father and said he was going to kill or seriously injure him. Both girls were taken in by him."

The first victim was told she had to meet up with Molloy and have sex with him.

Mr Kennedy said: "She believed she was going to save Deano from serious harm at the hands of his father. She was coerced into having sexual intercourse with him and engage in various sex acts.

"He took indecent photographs of her and effectively blackmailed her and said he would show them to her parents if she did not do what he wanted."

Molloy also hacked into her MSN profile page and sent abusive emails to her friends in a bid to further isolate her.

She was raped on 15 occasions between January and February 2007 and July 2008.

Molloy was arrested in September 2008 after she eventually told her parents, who then informed police. When interviewed he denied pretending to be anyone or having a sexual relationship with the girl.

He was released on bail pending further inquiries but just seven days later met his second victim who he raped.

Mr Kennedy said: "He had told her in the guise of Deano's father that he was going to throw acid in the boy's face and seriously harm him if she did not do what he wished.

"He persuaded her to give him sexual favours in return for not harming Deano.

"She again did, thinking of buying time for Deano. She genuinely believed he existed."

Molloy took her to a hotel in Shipley, West Yorkshire, where he sexually abused her over a period of up to four days - on one occasion in the presence of his nephew, the court was told.

A week later she returned to the Leeds area to meet him but was contacted by police.

Molloy told her they had to flee to Ireland for their own safety but he dumped her on the way up to Scotland, hitching lifts to Stranraer, where he took a ferry alone to Belfast.

He was finally arrested in Northern Ireland three weeks later.

Ex-serviceman Molloy, of Doran Close, went on trial at Preston Crown last July charged with seven specimen counts of rape. He changed his pleas to guilty on the second day of the hearing before any evidence was heard.

However, he later sought to to change his pleas again but Judge Slinger refused him permission when he heard further evidence.

Molloy was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and also banned from working for children.

He can only be released on licence by the Parole Board if he is no longer considered a danger to the public.