Bail Increased for Accused Child Sex Predator After Discovery of 'Underwear Collection'

Photo: Timothy Moore, 44, courtesy of Cook County Sheriff

Bridgeview, IL — A Bridgeview man charged with sexually assaulting his young stepdaughter while her mother lay dying of cancer was back in court Thursday following the discovery of 30 pairs of semen-stained children’s underwear found in his trailer, prosecutors said.

Timothy Moore, 44, who faces multiple counts of predatory criminal sexual assault with a child under 13, appeared before Cook County Judge Steven Rosenblum, along with his attorney, John Paul Carroll.

Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Stevens asked the judge for Moore’s bail to be increased, calling him a threat to the community. Moore is currently free on a $50,000 bond but remains on house arrest and cannot leave his home.

According to the charges, Moore lived in a mobile home in the 8800 block of South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview with his wife and her daughter from another relationship, along with his minor biological children.

While the girl’s mother was dying of cancer, Moore sexually assaulted his stepdaughter between the ages of 8 and 11, the prosecutor said. The girl, who is now 15, is living with her father and has an order of protection against her stepfather.

The girl did not tell anyone of the sexual abuse until 2014 after her mother died, when she told a friend and later began talking to adults, the prosecutor said.

Moore was arrested on Dec. 4, 2014, allegedly making a video taped admission to Bridgeview police.

According to court records, Moore spent a year in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. A public defender was appointed to represent him after he claimed he lacked the funds to hire an attorney. In January, Moore motioned to switch to a private attorney. He was also placed on 24-hour electronic home monitoring.

During Thursday’s bond hearing, Stevens played recordings of jailhouse phone calls that Moore made allegedly using other inmates’ PINs so that the calls could not be traced to him. In a phone conversation with his sister-in-law recorded in July 2015, she confronted Moore about 30 pairs of semen-stained “little girl’s underwear” she found stuffed behind a nightstand while cleaning his trailer. She tells Moore in the recording that the discovery “really disgusted me.”

“They belong to past history,” Moore says on the tape, interrupted by a recorded jail operator stating that inmates’ phone calls are being monitored.

“They were really small,” his sister-in-law said.

“It’s a collection I started since I was 18,” Moore said. “When have you known me to be with big girls?”

“I looked at the designs and size. They’re like kids’ underwear,” she said.

In another conversation from August 2015 played in court, Moore told his sister-in-law the thought of her being against him “made me lose my mind." He also changed his story about the underwear belonging to former girlfriends to saying they belonged to his deceased wife.

Moore also discussed his finances, stating he has bail money “but it’s not in my name.” The prosecutor said that while making phone calls from jail to his family, Moore used other inmates’ PIN numbers so the calls could not be traced back to him, “but that’s his voice on the recordings.”

Stevens also alleged that Moore made statements to police that his stepdaughter was “going after him” and “crawled into his bed.”

Based on the discovery of the underwear and lies about his finances, his bail needed to be reset, she stated.

“Did I wake up this morning in North Korea?” asked Carroll, Moore's attorney. “We have a law here that people are innocent until proven guilty.”

Moore’s attorney went on to say his client did not make an admission to committing a crime in the recorded jailhouse phone calls.

“He’s a decent human being who has been accused of something,” Carroll said.

Rosenblum agreed with Moore’s attorney that his client made no admissions in the case against him. He also found Moore’s sister-in-law to be supportive and a positive influence in Moore’s life, yet concerned when confronted with the underwear evidence.

The judge further stated he found the discovery of 30 pairs of semen-stained underwear disturbing, as well as Moore “playing the role of pauper” to the bond judge.

“These are factors when determining bond,” the judge said. “His honesty factors are very weak. His credibility is weak.”

Rosenblum increased Moore’s bail from $500,000 to $700,000, stating Moore needed to come up with an additional $20,000 to bond out. The judge also postponed making a decision on allowing Moore to leave the house for work and other activities while on electronic home monitoring.

Moore’s next court hearing is set for Aug. 2 in Bridgeview.