HILLSBORO, Mo. – An emotional court hearing in Hillsboro Wednesday morning in the case of an Imperial man charged with multiple sex crimes involving several young children.

The suspect in this case, Christopher Moriarty, 43, has been held without bond since his arrest last week.

On Wednesday, Moriarty’s attorney, public defender George Mueller, was trying to get him a bond so he could possibly be released from jail. An official with the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was arguing against any bond given the nature of the charges.

After emotional moments including the reading victim impact statements and statements from Moriarty’s loved ones, the judge ordered Moriarty would continue to be held without bond.

Moriarty is facing 14 child sex crime charges including statutory rape or attempted statutory rape, statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy, sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 years old and enticement or attempted enticement of a child.

Neighbors captured cell phone video of a heavy police presence when authorities went to arrest Moriarty at his Imperial home last week.

Court documents revealed five alleged victims in this case between 12 and 13 years old.

In the documents the children provided graphic descriptions of sex acts involving Moriarty that allegedly occurred between June 1, 2024, until just last week on March 24.

Investigators say the crimes took place at Moriarty’s imperial home.

At Moriarty’s house on Seckman Ridge Way, authorities say they discovered marijuana, drug paraphernalia, sex toys, and an active camera in Moriarty’s bedroom that was pointed toward his bed.

Authorities say Moriarty used social media to contact his victims and there be additional victims in this case.

In fact, St. Louis County police confirmed FOX 2 News that two potential additional victims have come forward and those situations are being actively investigated.

The prosecutor said in court that she anticipates more charges will be filed against Moriarty.

An official from the prosecutor’s office read three statements from alleged victims and two from the grandparents of one of the alleged victims. All of them pleaded for Moriarty to remain jailed without bond. The victims say Moriarty traumatized them, and they were forever changed because of what allegedly happened to them.

These alleged victims represented in the hearing today are from the crimes that Moriarty is already charged with.

But Moriarty’s loved ones and his attorney argued he has no criminal record prior to this and would have a GPS monitor to track his movements if he were released.

Three of Moriarty’s loved ones told the judge he was a person of solid character, and they questioned the motives of the alleged victims.

They were emotional in their support of Moriarty calling the allegations against him “not true” and the alleged victims “manipulative.”

Mueller called Moriarty an “ideal candidate” for pre-trial release, saying Moriarty would have no contact with the alleged victims. The attorney asked the judge for a bond of $50,000 with a ten percent posting.

But the judge said no, siding with prosecutors and denying any bond. Moriarty’s next court date is in May.