Man who set up roller coaster for kids at Lithonia apartment pleads guilty to raping 3 children

LITHONIA, Ga. — A Lithonia man who built roller coasters for kids at his apartment complex has now been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing three children, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney.

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Investigators said Dectavious Thomas Moore, 41, was well-known at his complex and often took neighborhood children to drive go-karts or invited them to his home.

Channel 2 Action News first reported on Moore’s arrest in 2018.

Detectives said that Moore not only forced the children to perform sexual acts with him against their will, but he also directed them to have sex with each other or forced them to watch while he engaged in sex acts in front of them. Investigators also recovered more than 1,000 explicit photos and videos of the children from his phone.

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The investigation began in Newton County when prosecutors said Moore sent illicit messages and photos to one of the victims through an app on her phone and told her he was on his way to pick her up for sex. An adult saw the messages and told the child’s father, who called the police. He was arrested when he got to the victim’s house.

The incidents all took place between July 2017 and May 2018 and involved children aged 9 - 13 years old. He was initially charged with 52 counts including rape, incest, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and sexual exploitation of children.

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On Friday, Moore pleaded guilty to three counts of rape. According to prosecutors, he is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.

The housing complex dismantled the roller coaster after Moore’s arrest. Some neighbors said they wouldn’t let their kids near the ride, which was made mostly of PVC pipes and wood, but they didn’t think the man who built it would be accused of child sex crimes.

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