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Convicted paedophile Darren Meah-Moore, 39, was found to have 'human and non-human' semen inside his body after the dog's owner tried to 'shoo' the animal away - before Meah-Moore told him not to, an inquest heard
Darren Meah-Moore was found dead in carboard boxes (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
A paedophile drag queen died after having sex with a stranger and his dog, an inquest heard. Darren Meah-Moore, 39, was found dead covered in cardboard boxes in a secluded car park after leaving a nightclub in full drag costume on January 22, 2023.
Convicted sex offender Meah-Moore – who performed as Crystal Couture and made jewellery featured on RuPaul's Drag Race – was last seen in full face make-up and blonde wig after leaving Pulse nightclub in Cardiff. The inquest heard married Meah-Moore had sexual encounters with other men on the same night before meeting a man walking his dog in the early hours of the morning in the street.
The dog walker said he went to a secluded car park with Meah-Moore and began engaging in sexual activity with him before the dog joined in. The man – who cannot be identified – said he tried to "shoo" the animal away but Meah-Moore told him not to.
Meah-Moore was a convicted pedophile (image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
The owner said he "lost interest" when Meah-Moore continued to allow the dog to have sex with him. He said that Meah-Moore fell asleep and could not be roused.
The inquest was told tests found "human and non-human" semen inside Meah-Moore's body and DNA matched the man's dog. The Pontypridd hearing was told pathologists could not find a "traumatic" cause of death – and tests were carried out to see if Meah-Moore was allergic to dogs.
Coroner David Regan said: "The pathologist made a suggestion that there might be some pathological relation with sudden death potentially arising from the dog semen?"
Detective Superintendent Paul Raikes replied: "I think it is accepted Darren did have a sensitivity to dogs but it wasn't able to provide a cause of death and attribute it to that."
The court heard the original medical cause of death was given as 1a: sudden death in a man with bronchial asthma who had consumed alcohol and in a temporal association with sexual activity including anal intercourse. The dog's owner said he wanted to stop the animal having sex with Meah-Moore but was told not to.
He said: "Who would think somebody wants to have sex with a dog but apparently he did. I was told to leave him be. Because it was consensual and desired, I let him do what he was asked to do.
"I had never seen something like that before. I could have stopped it and I should have stopped it but I didn't."
He was found dead in a drag costume (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
The dog's owner was later arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but later released without charge. Meah-Moore was reported missing by his husband the following morning – and a worker at the club said she saw him enter a nearby car park.
Nightclub manager Sean Rogers learned of his disappearance and went to check the car park and could see part of his dress from the previous night. Mr Rogers said when he got out of his car he found Meah-Moore's body covered with flattened out cardboard boxes which had "definitely been placed on top of him".
He said the boxes were "covering a large part of his body." Mr Rogers said he tried to rouse his friend but when he got no response ran back to his car to phone the emergency services.
He performed CPR until paramedics took over but Meah-Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. The inquest heard tributes from Meah-Moore's father and husband who described him as "caring" and "right at the heart of Cardiff's gay community".
He was also described as talented gymnast, who ran a jewellery company called Bling Bling Bling UK, which sold pieces including some featured on RuPaul's Drag Race. An earlier inquest heard the cause of death was pending a decision by the pathologist.
Darren Meah-Moore was married (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
At the time of his death, a spokeswoman for South Wales Police, said: "Darren was last seen at around 5am dressed in drag and was wearing full face make-up, a luminous green dress, a blonde wig, diamante heels and a matching clutch bag."
A tribute from Darren's family said: "Darren Moore was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend. He was always the life and soul where ever he went, he was our social butterfly. He made sure he had a lot of time for people, and never judged others.
"Darren's husband and family want to thank everyone for their support but now need time to grieve and respectfully request privacy at this time."
Meah-Moore was jailed in March 1999 after being convicted of four counts of rape of a boy under 16. In 2011, he was also sentenced to a three-year community order and given 300 hours of unpaid work for breaching of a sex offender's order.
The Pontypridd inquest, due to last four days, continues.
Archive
Convicted paedophile Darren Meah-Moore, 39, was found to have 'human and non-human' semen inside his body after the dog's owner tried to 'shoo' the animal away - before Meah-Moore told him not to, an inquest heard
Darren Meah-Moore was found dead in carboard boxes (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
A paedophile drag queen died after having sex with a stranger and his dog, an inquest heard. Darren Meah-Moore, 39, was found dead covered in cardboard boxes in a secluded car park after leaving a nightclub in full drag costume on January 22, 2023.
Convicted sex offender Meah-Moore – who performed as Crystal Couture and made jewellery featured on RuPaul's Drag Race – was last seen in full face make-up and blonde wig after leaving Pulse nightclub in Cardiff. The inquest heard married Meah-Moore had sexual encounters with other men on the same night before meeting a man walking his dog in the early hours of the morning in the street.
The dog walker said he went to a secluded car park with Meah-Moore and began engaging in sexual activity with him before the dog joined in. The man – who cannot be identified – said he tried to "shoo" the animal away but Meah-Moore told him not to.
Meah-Moore was a convicted pedophile (image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
The owner said he "lost interest" when Meah-Moore continued to allow the dog to have sex with him. He said that Meah-Moore fell asleep and could not be roused.
The inquest was told tests found "human and non-human" semen inside Meah-Moore's body and DNA matched the man's dog. The Pontypridd hearing was told pathologists could not find a "traumatic" cause of death – and tests were carried out to see if Meah-Moore was allergic to dogs.
Coroner David Regan said: "The pathologist made a suggestion that there might be some pathological relation with sudden death potentially arising from the dog semen?"
Detective Superintendent Paul Raikes replied: "I think it is accepted Darren did have a sensitivity to dogs but it wasn't able to provide a cause of death and attribute it to that."
The court heard the original medical cause of death was given as 1a: sudden death in a man with bronchial asthma who had consumed alcohol and in a temporal association with sexual activity including anal intercourse. The dog's owner said he wanted to stop the animal having sex with Meah-Moore but was told not to.
He said: "Who would think somebody wants to have sex with a dog but apparently he did. I was told to leave him be. Because it was consensual and desired, I let him do what he was asked to do.
"I had never seen something like that before. I could have stopped it and I should have stopped it but I didn't."
He was found dead in a drag costume (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
The dog's owner was later arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but later released without charge. Meah-Moore was reported missing by his husband the following morning – and a worker at the club said she saw him enter a nearby car park.
Nightclub manager Sean Rogers learned of his disappearance and went to check the car park and could see part of his dress from the previous night. Mr Rogers said when he got out of his car he found Meah-Moore's body covered with flattened out cardboard boxes which had "definitely been placed on top of him".
He said the boxes were "covering a large part of his body." Mr Rogers said he tried to rouse his friend but when he got no response ran back to his car to phone the emergency services.
He performed CPR until paramedics took over but Meah-Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. The inquest heard tributes from Meah-Moore's father and husband who described him as "caring" and "right at the heart of Cardiff's gay community".
He was also described as talented gymnast, who ran a jewellery company called Bling Bling Bling UK, which sold pieces including some featured on RuPaul's Drag Race. An earlier inquest heard the cause of death was pending a decision by the pathologist.
Darren Meah-Moore was married (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
At the time of his death, a spokeswoman for South Wales Police, said: "Darren was last seen at around 5am dressed in drag and was wearing full face make-up, a luminous green dress, a blonde wig, diamante heels and a matching clutch bag."
A tribute from Darren's family said: "Darren Moore was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend. He was always the life and soul where ever he went, he was our social butterfly. He made sure he had a lot of time for people, and never judged others.
"Darren's husband and family want to thank everyone for their support but now need time to grieve and respectfully request privacy at this time."
Meah-Moore was jailed in March 1999 after being convicted of four counts of rape of a boy under 16. In 2011, he was also sentenced to a three-year community order and given 300 hours of unpaid work for breaching of a sex offender's order.
The Pontypridd inquest, due to last four days, continues.
