ALEXANDER POTTER'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN PRESTONPANS AND EAST LOTHIAN REVEALED

In January 2021, a disturbing case involving Alexander Potter, a resident of Prestonpans, came to light through a series of online interactions that exposed his predatory behavior towards minors. The case highlights the dangers of online grooming and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect vulnerable children.

It was revealed that Potter, aged 47, engaged in illicit communications with individuals he believed to be underage girls through various social media platforms. His actions included sending sexually explicit messages and requesting inappropriate photographs, all under the false assumption that he was communicating with minors. These interactions were ultimately intercepted by adult decoys associated with the paedophile hunter groups Maximum Exposure UK and Groom Resistors UK, who played a crucial role in bringing his activities to the attention of the authorities.

One of the primary victims was a girl known online as ‘14-year-old Scarlett’. Potter initiated contact with her via the hi5 social media site on August 26, 2019. He quickly escalated the conversation from casual chatting to flirtatious exchanges, eventually moving the dialogue to WhatsApp. During these conversations, Potter claimed that Scarlett was 14 and still attending school. Despite her age, he persistently urged her to send him a photograph of herself dressed in her school uniform. His messages grew increasingly disturbing, as he described sexual acts he wanted to perform and expressed a desire to meet her in private locations such as woods or secluded buildings to carry out these acts.

In his messages, Potter made explicit comments, including phrases like “kiss your sweet lips while sitting on my lap” and “as long as no one sees us it will be OK.” He also suggested they meet in secret, emphasizing the need for privacy. His language was graphic and predatory, with him explicitly stating he wanted to “take her virginity” and making comments about avoiding pregnancy. The decoys, acting as the girls, collected chat logs and handed them over to the police, which formed the basis of the case against him.

In addition to his contact with Scarlett, Potter also reached out to another online profile believed to belong to a girl named Lucy, also aged 14. This contact was made through the Kick platform on September 22, 2019, where Potter used the alias Alex P and included his own image in his profile. His messages to Lucy were similarly explicit, expressing a desire to meet, kiss, and engage in sexual activity. He openly admitted to the decoy that he was aware he could face jail but still wanted to pursue these illicit encounters.

Following his arrest, the second decoy contacted the police after hearing about Potter’s detention related to the first girl. The police investigation confirmed that Potter had been engaging in these predatory behaviors over a period of time, specifically between August 26 and September 29, 2019, for the first girl, and between September 22 and October 1, 2019, for the second.

During his court appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Potter pleaded guilty to two charges of indecently communicating with individuals he believed to be minors. He admitted to encouraging the decoys to send photographs, describing sexual acts, and calling one of them ‘daddy’. His plea to a charge of arranging to meet one of the girls for sex at a caravan park in Dunbar, East Lothian, was accepted by the Crown. The court heard that Potter’s actions were calculated and predatory, aimed at exploiting minors through online platforms.

Sheriff Alistair Noble, presiding over the case, ordered that Potter be placed on the Sex Offenders Register. The court also deferred sentencing until the following month to allow for further proceedings. The prosecution’s case was supported by the evidence collected from the decoys, which demonstrated a pattern of grooming and sexual predation. The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by online predators and the importance of vigilance and law enforcement intervention to safeguard children from exploitation.