Phillip Anthony Moore
Real Name: Phillip Anthony Moore
Aliases: No known aliases
Wanted For: Child Molestation
Missing Since: July 6, 1992
Case[]
Details: Thirty-eight-year-old Phillip Anthony Moore was a divorced father of two who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1972. He eventually rose to the rank of Master Sergeant. During his twenty years in the service, no one expected that he would have a dark, hidden side. By 1991, he was stationed at the marine base in Quantico, Virginia. He lived there with his sons, aged fourteen and nine.
In December 1991, Moore suffered a heart attack. While recuperating, his ex-wife temporarily moved into his home to look after their sons. A few days later, she was stunned to discover that his diary contained explicit descriptions of sexual acts with several children between the ages of six and fourteen. The incidents were believed to have occurred on base between June 1990 and November 1991. He was arrested and charged with five counts of indecent assault on a minor and five counts of sodomy.
During a pre-trial investigation by the Naval Investigative Service, Moore was restricted to the barracks at Quantico Marine Base. However, on July 6, 1992, just ten days before his trial, he left the base and disappeared. Ten days later, his ex-wife received a letter in which he admitted that he had molested at least one of their sons. He also claimed that he was going to commit suicide in the woods surrounding his former home in Dale City, Virginia. That same day, his car was found by his old neighborhood.
Four massive searches failed to turn up Moore's body. NIS agents now believe that the suicide threat was probably bogus and that he has instead fled the area.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired as a Special Alert on the October 7, 1992 episode and was updated in the November 25, 1992 episode.
- It was excluded from FilmRise release of the series.
Moore after his arrest
Results: Captured. Shortly after the broadcast, a viewer's tip led FBI and NIS agents to an apartment building in Rialto, California, where Moore was staying. On October 15, 1992, he was arrested there. He had been living under the assumed name "Lloyd Ronald Moore". During his time on the run, he had grown a beard and started using blue contact lenses to conceal his identity. He was also in the process of removing a tattoo from his forearm.
Moore was returned to Quantico Marine Base to stand trial on five counts of indecent assault on a minor, five counts of sodomy, and desertion. He was convicted of the charges in 1993 and sentenced to prison. He has since been released, however, he is required to register as a sex offender.
Links:
- Fugitive may have staged suicide - July 30, 1992
- "Suicidal" sergeant is sought as fugitive - July 30, 1992
- TV show leads to arrest - October 17, 1992
- Marine admits sodomizing teen - March 17, 1993
- Phillip Anthony Moore on ArrestFacts.com