Gary Morris is a married 46-year-old British Airways pilot. Or rather, he was a British Airways pilot until he was busted trying to hook up with a teenager he met on Grindr.
Morris connected with the 14-year-old boy called “Tom” on the hookup app back in December 2016. The two chatted for a while before Morris invited Tom over to his elderly parent’s house for a hookup in the wee hours of December 28.
Unbeknownst to Morris, however, Tom was actually Guardians of the North, a watchdog group that sets up fake online profiles to expose adults preying on minors. The group tipped off police, who showed up at Morris’ parent’s door to arrest him.
Shortly after his arrest, Morris was let go from his job at British Airways. A spokesperson for the company told media, “He no longer works for the airline and has not flown since his arrest in 2016.”
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The 46-year-old appeared before a Newcastle Crown Court this week, where he denied grooming a minor for sex, saying he felt “foolish, embarrassed and ashamed” and confessing he had “betrayed his partner.”
He also testified that the online conversation was just “fantasy” and that he wasn’t paying close attention when Tom told him his age.
The Sunderland Echo reports:
Morris told jurors he had used the Grindr dating app for around six years but would delete it and re-download it as he “didn’t want his husband finding out about it”.
He said he used the site for “sexual gratification” but that it was “pure fantasy” and he never had any intention of meeting anybody.
He said he must have “missed” the message where “Tom” told him he was 14, as he had been distracted by the other online activity.
“He wasn’t after a fantasy,” prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court. “He was after actual sexual contact with Tom.”
Meanwhile, Morris’ attorney argued his client is “not a pedophile” and has “no interest in children” and that he would never risk his “career, relationship, and reputation” by engaging in illegal behavior.
The jury, however, was not convinced. After just over three hours of deliberation, they issued a guilty verdict. Morris was ordered to register as a sex offender. A sentence hearing is scheduled for next month.
HereIAm
It’s a cautionary tale how these hookup apps can destroy the life and career of an accomplished and successful person. When you allow yourself to embrace and act upon your dark twisted and disgusting fantasies, there is no way out. It’s an addiction that needs to be eliminated and repudiated.
surreal33
Well said…Please explore your fantasies with ADULTS only! To avoid being labeled a pervert.
Rock-N-RollHS
You remind me of the Priest in Harold & Maud. Hilarious. How those “disgusting” fantasies working for you.
Tarutaru
I don’t think he was a real predator. Guys think with their dicks when they are horny and especially when they log on Grindr. Don’t think this man normally fantasizes about kids and actively searches out kids. I think he was just horny and looking for a fantasy to get him off and this boy came along and the excitement gripped him. I mean they were talking for a while over a year before he finally invited the boy over. He’s not someone we need to destroy their career and keep the public safe from. I think he should have been kept safe from a group that went on an 18+ sex app and elaborately over the course of a year baited him.
Vince
@Tarutaru. Only pedos like the perv should fear this group and I for one am glad they’re there..
Josh447
You’re a paid shill for clicks. I’d recommend we all avoid you.
stanhope
Sweetheart it is not the app at fault here…it is this dick who did not control his urges and went on to lie about it. His husband should have put his stuff on the street and said ciao b y t c h! He should lose his job.
mountainmaat
I was 14 and had several older partners. It’s not twisted nor dark, in fact it was quite safe and loving. We should be supportive of this guy not chastise him.
Redieagle
Agreed!!!
Dick_Ryder
totally agree …
Granny Spoth
Exactly.
I wouldn’t encourage anyone to break the law, which exists for a reason.
But as far as a breach this is, this is quite mild.
Much more concerned about true predators on prepubescent children.
And we are not even sure he indeed read that message about being 14.
Deleting and reinstalling the apps will delete messages.
PinkoOfTheGange
Milo is that you?
BTW No just No!
HereIAm
These older men took advantage of you at a young age and exploited your naivety and gullibility. You have been in denial all these years but your soul has been deeply damaged, so damaged that you actually think it’s OK for old pervs to prey on young guys. You need professional help now.
QueerTruth
Adults should not have sex with minors- period.
It’s obscene and morally wrong to suggest it. Worse, it’s criminal.
All of the users supporting this are wrong and frankly are disgusting and DO NOT represent civil society.
Supporting gay youth means – Platonic support. PERIOD. The fact that I needed to type this is truly disturbing.
AnthonyfromKE
So you are encouraging Teenagers aged 13-year-olds, 14-year-olds, 15 year olds and 16 years old to have relationships with older men- Say 27 and above? I don’t agree. I think young men need to explore their sexuality when they are adult and can be accountable to their sexuality, and they know better
thisiswhatithunk
I had hook ups with older men at 14 too. I now see that those men were predators who took advantage of a vulnerable minor. Any grown man who solicits sex with an under age person is a paedophile. End of story. It’s not normal behaviour. This man should not have agreed to have sex with a minor.
HereIAm
The fact that you have the nerve to condone pedophilia on this website and several commenters agreeing with you begs the question whether you guys should be reported to the authorities. You are playing with fire now and you need to retract your comments immediately.
Curtispsf
HereIAm Who the eff do you think you are? The sex or morals police? You say “Your soul has been severely damaged and you need professional help”. Well, I guess I need professional help too. When I was 14, I began a two year relationship with a guy who was 17. We ended it when I turned 16 and he turned 19, but not because of any age difference and NOT because we weren’t into each other. He moved to go to college and I was heartbroken (and so was he) because he was my first love. We have remained in close contact with each other. As a matter of fact, we met up for a weekend a year ago and had great sex, not necessarily because of the physical aspect, but because it meant a lot to make love with someone who was my first and who was so instrumental in my “coming out”. I have nothing but TOTAL respect for this guy, HereIAm, there you go. Take your moralizing and judgement and shove it up your arse. Now I’m not saying that all age disparate hookups don’t have a predatory aspect to them, but your “one size fits all” mentality is just pure rubbish as far as I’m concerned.
radiooutmike
Thanks curtispsf!
HereIAm
No matter how you slice and dice your first underage romance, it was still wrong. I can cut him some slack because he was only 3 years older than you. If he were 27 or older when he seduced you when you were 14, he should be going to jail. We should have zero tolerance for pedophilia when it comes to enforce the laws.
PinkoOfTheGange
@Curtispsf
My guess: most of us would go for Romeo/Julian exceptions.
But we are commenting on the 46 y/o v. 14y/o.
Greg
HereIam. You don’t know mountainmaat’s situation. You don’t know anything about his soul or if it’s damaged. It’s also not pedophilia. Pedophilia refers to little children who are prepubescent.
Vince
@Curtispsf. It’s a world of difference between a 19 year old and a 46 year old.
stanhope
Sick sissy…for every experience you relate there are one hundred of abuse. Put on the dunce cap and get vaginal rejuvination.
AndThenTheresMax
Here’s what I don’t understand?!
Why are there so many partnered guys on Grindr, Growlr and Scruff?!! If you are not happy in your relationship; live in the truth and say, “It’s time for this relationship to end.”
The moral of this story is. Be honest with yourself and your partner. If you’re not happy…leave. Don’t load your ass on Grindr hoping to find a diversion to delay the truth. #facepalm
AlexEf
grow up
PinkoOfTheGange
If they are the only one in that partnership that knows it is open then you may have a point, but don’t try to define anyone else’s relationship. It is just rude.
AndThenTheresMax
I am not trying to define anyone else’s relationship. It’s the truth. If you’re not happy in your relationship…just leave. People do it all the time. Grindr just delays the inevitable.
Curtispsf
AndThenThere’sMax should keep his comments to a minimum. There are many many partnered and married couples where “extra curricular” sex is allowed and all concerned are happy. Happiness is not necessarily predicated on monogamy; that’s a very hetero-normative philosophy.
PinkoOfTheGange
Being on Grinder while partnered doesn’t show anything about the partnership was my point.
Sorry if I tossed it to high.
frankcar1965
What if everyone is happy? What then? Who are YOU to judge? You are judging gay people just like the heteros do, good job.
azjeff17
I thought you had to meet the age of consent on these sites to register. Everyone on grindr should be legal age. I guess if someone falsely registered tells you they are under age you should report it to the site admin.
Scout
Why did police show up at Morris’s parents’ door?? Did he live with his partner or at home with his parents at age 46?
Vince
Because that’s where he set it up.
Rock-N-RollHS
Hmm, but am I missing something. An adult went on app posing as a 14 year to entrap? No one under age should be allowed on these apps and entrapment should be illegal. Where did the adult get the teen pic, I wonder. He could easily post a pic of someone not underage–likely as underage photos would be illegal–so this compounds the “lie.”
Daniepwils
It isn’t entrapment. “Morris invited Tom over”. Police providing the setup doesn’t constitute as entrapment. If the police had said (posing as the teen) “Hey let’s go have sex” then maybe you’d have a case.
Brian
When they do these types of stings, they use a young looking officer, then dress them to make them look even younger. With as many 14 and 15 year olds these days who look years older, it’s really not particularly difficult to make it believable.
miserylovedme24
I could believe he truly didn’t know. These guys always delete and reinstall the app which deletes previous messages. And anyone underage would have it listed as being 18 on their profile so if you went to look later on it’d show that. I don’t know what this guy actually did but the explanation isn’t far fetched at all.
Tarutaru
Guardians of the north my ass. Sounds more like a hate group. PEDOPHILES DONT GO ON GRINDR TO FIND KIDS.
PinkoOfTheGange
A 14yo doesn’t ring a pedo’s bell.
And any adult should be self aware enough to not engage with one on a sexual level.
behemoth
I’m a little bemused by all the holier-than-thou comments on here concerning the age of the fantasy object in this story…as though somehow the age of consent is a law of physics or at the very least a law of nature. Where I live, in Italy, the age of consent is 14, for anybody, of any gender and in any situation. Same in Germany, same in Sweden, same in lots of countries in the western World. Why all the scandalised kerfuffle about the idea of a 14 y/o wanting to get his rocks off?
PinkoOfTheGange
Sweden is 15 as is Denmark; Norway and Finland is 16 as it is across the UK.
And Germany 14 is iffy. If the minor states that they were coerced by someone older than 21 into sex, then the older individual can be held in a custodial sentence for up to 24 months per interaction. The effective AOC of Germany is 16.
Vince
I have an idea. If it’s so all okay then why not just ask the kids parents first if you can have sex with her their son. Lol ?
armandov
For starters, the age of consent in the UK is 16. When you think of the massive age difference its just beyond creepy – its predatory. Think of it this way: If you were a 46-year-old parent and another 46 year old came to your door saying he was there to pick up your 14-year old son/daughter for a “date” wouldn’t that creep you out??
frankcar1965
So, PinkoOfTheGange, if the 14 yr old is not coerced then it is ok! So does that make German and Italian 14 yr olds different and more delicate than American 14 yr olds? Do tell us!
PinkoOfTheGange
@ Frank I was only commenting on the Age of Consent laws, not making a moral judgement.
Tombear
When I was 14 I would of loved to have sex with an older bearded man who had a hairy chest!
Doug
Wait a second… they arrested this guy based on some texts and absolutely no physical presence at all? This can’t be legal.
Vince
You ever watch “To Catch a Predator” with Chris Hansen?
PinkoOfTheGange
If the texts where graphic it is corruption of a minor with intent.
parker23
For the record… that photo is a stock photo of a pilot and not actually Gary Morris…
DavidIntl
It gets tiresome repeatedly reading on Queerty comments from people describing age-disparate relationships as “creepy”, “disgusting”, etc. My partner was 18 when we met. I was 48. We have been happily together for more than three years now. He comes from a very worldly, intellectual and affluent background and in no way was looking for a ‘sugar Daddy’. I am not taking advantage of his ‘innocence’ in any way – he had as much ‘experience’ as I had before we met. Again, we are happy, and unquestionably have been good for each other. Why would any of you find that disturbing?
Vince
A teenager and somebody pushing 50 is very disturbing. I don’t care what you tell yourself but it’s not normal or healthy. If you want to help the kids just pay them but don’t make sex part of the deal.
Vince
Oh and I have no doubt money is involved.
PinkoOfTheGange
18 ain’t 14. Most of the comments stem from the story above.
Vince
PinkoOfTheGange. True but the commenter said in a previous thread that he can’t be attracted to anybody above that age range. This isn’t just another may-december relationship we’re talking about.
radiowarrior2
I’m glad I’m not the only one who dates younger guys. I have no problem with it, not do I find it “creepy”. It IS different… but I don’t mind that. As long as he’s a consenting adult as is I, then I’m okay. It’s about connection; not sex.
Also, until someone tells Trump that his marriage to his wife (and ex) are off limits, or Kelsey Grammar, or Rob Lowe, or J-Lo & her bf…. everyone can go fvck themselves.
Vince
@radiowarrior2. Yes but when you are obsessed with guys barely out of their diapers then yes it is a problem.
Daniel Lachowski
I want my suggardaddy also 🙂
bftlguy
First of all, as soon as he found out he was speaking to a 14 year old on Grindr he should have stopped and reported the 14 yo to Grindr. I am often approached on Grindr by guys whose profiles say they are between 20 & 25. I ask them why they are interested in meeting a 63 yo. After they respond I say I’ll meet you but you must provide me with a state issued ID proving you are 21 years or more before I let you in. If a 16 year old shows up at your door you and only you are responsible. Most of the time I don’t hear back which is fine as I don’t ever target or approach guys under 40. I had a 22 year old show up and confess he was 16 yo from my parking lot. I sent him home. What disturbs me is if these guys claiming to be in their 20’s actually represent law enforcement trying to get adults to unwittingly agree to connect with underage guys it seems like they are targeting non predators.
radiowarrior2
It happened to me. It IS life-ruining. Also…. just so you’re aware… an ID will NOT preclude you from Strict Liability laws. Yeahhhhhh…. 🙁