Geoffrey Muir jailed for grooming and sexually abusing little girls after meeting their mum on Tinder

WARNING: This story involves child sexual abuse. Relief and emergency information can be found below.

When she met Geoffrey Muir on Tinder, she never imagined that within two years he would destroy her family – abusing and raping her older daughter until her 12th birthday, then turning his attention to her 5-year-old.

Muir was trusted with girls. He was charming. She thought he was a good man.

But now he knows he is a monster – a cunning predator, a manipulator, a sick child sex offender.

He worries that there are more victims.

In early 2020, the woman met Muir, then 53, on the dating app Tinder.

The pair became friends, and Muir spent much time at the home she shared with her young daughters.

After all, he had almost daily access to the girls and was trusted to be alone with them.

No one had any idea what he was exposing the children to until 2023, when an older girl revealed Muir’s abuse, worried he would do the same to her younger sister.

It was too late.

The woman went to the police in 2023, and Muir was charged with 12 sexual offenses against the older girl, ranging from indecent acts to rape and exposing her to pornography.

He was charged with two counts of sexual abuse of a younger girl.

A further two charges were brought against Muir in connection with creating or possessing objectionable material, including photos and videos of the sisters.

Muir was arrested and charged in Tauranga, where he was living at the time.

The crime occurred elsewhere in New Zealand.

During his first appearance in the Tauranga District Court, he pleaded guilty to most of the charges against him. During the sentencing on Monday, he pleaded guilty to the rest of the charges and to several new charges.

Muir’s litany of insults is presented in a 12-page summary of the facts that Herald has been provided.

In November 2021, he began sexually abusing the older of the two girls, who was 10 years old.

“During this time, (Muir) took every opportunity to sexually abuse (the girl) with increased frequency to the point where the harassment became normal and expected – with a measured intensity ranging from genital touching and rubbing to sexual harassment,” the summary said.

“To avoid detection of his crime, the molestation took place at night in (the girl’s) bedroom; in her mother’s bedroom when no one else was home, with the windows, curtains and doors closed… and in the comfort of his truck after bribing (the girl) to travel with him as a passenger.

“The sexual abuse (of the older girl) stopped in 2021, before her 12th birthday.”

Muir then began to abuse the younger girl, who was only 5 years old.

“(He) was tactful and calculating in his pursuit of sexual abuse (of the little girl) and continually assured him that he would keep it a secret.

The Herald chose not to publish details of each charge – most of which were representative, meaning there were multiple offenses of the same type that could not be traced to a specific date.

Muir’s crimes against the older girl continued to escalate and his violations became more and more invasive.

He gave her a sex toy and encouraged her to use it, then hid it under her pillow.

“It’s fun to be naughty, right?” – he told her during one of the attacks, during which he used a toy.

He started bribing the girl to go with him, among other things. to the supermarket saying he would buy her chocolate and for once he gave her $20.

“(Muir) used this tactic to lure her into his truck solely to have time and privacy to sexually abuse her,” police said.

“Usually, before or after touching (her) in her bedroom, (Muir) would give her his cell phone. He instructed and encouraged her to use his mobile phone only to watch pornographic videos on Pornhub.

“This happened with such regularity (the girl) lost count of how many times it happened.”

Police said Muir’s sole purpose in encouraging the girl to watch porn was to “sexualize her behavior with the express intention of inducing her to engage in sexual activity” to which she was exposed.

Immediately after the girl turned 12, Muir’s abuse stopped.

Police said the only reason was because he was “focused” on her younger sister.

“The accused used the time he was playing with (the girl) to sexually abuse her,” police said.

“When … themselves, (Muir) jokingly allowed (the 5-year-old) to catch him watching pornographic videos on his cell phone as if it were a game,” police said.

“He then allowed her to watch pornography on his mobile phone. He knew this piqued her interest to the point that she asked for more… viewing pornography was linked to sexual abuse.”

Muir also made lewd videos of the girls and took photos – mostly in their mother’s bedroom.

When Muir learned the girls’ mother was going to the police, he went to Tauranga police station with a lawyer and gave a full statement.

“He admitted… that he allowed (the girls) to watch pornography on his cell phone in order to manipulate a situation that would lead to a sex crime,” police said.

“He found it exciting.”

Muir was sentenced by Judge Paul Geoghegan, who began proceedings by inviting the girls’ mother to read a victim impact statement.

The woman stated that her older daughter only went to the police because she feared Muir would molest her younger sister.

“These concerns were justified,” she said.

She said Muir was “sick” and “monstrous” and that he had “manipulated, groomed and exploited” her for years – all to get to her little girls.

“The wounds are not physical, but they are deep, real and personal,” she said.

“He took something so precious – my children’s innocence… their ability to grow up without trauma.

“As a mother, I am devastated. I failed to protect my children from a monster hiding in plain sight… I was living every parent’s worst nightmare.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking… It’s a life sentence, a burden of wrongs that we will have to deal with… I can’t take away the memories… I can only tell them that what happened is not their fault.”

She said Muir was a “cunning predator” who hid behind his “charm”.

“I firmly believe that my children are not his first victims,” ​​she said.

“I have absolutely no doubt that he will re-offend if he is free. He doesn’t deserve to be free while we will never be free.”

A pre-sentence report said there was a high risk Muir would harm further children and there was a “serious risk” he might commit similar offenses if given the opportunity in the future.

Muir said he was an alcoholic but had been sober for 14 years.

He theorized that he had not “fully addressed the underlying issues” of this addiction and had simply “shifted” it from alcohol to sex.

“You reported that you had no intention of doing so – it just happened,” Judge Geoghegan said.

“While you may not have set out to begin with, your behavior bears all the hallmarks of a calculated and predatory crime.

“There was planning and premeditation… you took every opportunity to be with them, you kept secrets with them, you regularly exposed them both to porn in order to normalize and encourage sexual behavior.

“There was a high degree of manipulation… for his own sexual gratification. This will be with the victims and their mother forever.”

Judge Geoghegan sentenced Muir to 12 years and nine months, ordering him to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

“The significant risk you pose to the female children of anyone you may have a relationship with, and the fact that your charm and manipulation increase that risk… warrants a minimum non-parole period,” he said.

“What I want to say to victims and their mothers – although it may be of little or no comfort – is that they have no reason to feel guilty.

“There is one person and one person only responsible for why we are here today – and that person is you, Mr Muir.

“The victims were manipulated by you to meet your perceived needs… the verdict cannot in any way repair the damage done to this family.”

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter covering national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years, with a particular focus on domestic violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicide, mental health and youth crime. He writes, hosts and produces the award-winning monthly podcast A Moment In Crime nzherald.co.nz