DALE MACKIE FROM DUNFERMLINE CAUGHT IN ONLINE CHILD SEX STING

A man from Dunfermline, identified as Dale Mackie, has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register following a disturbing online incident involving a decoy social media account. Mackie, aged 30, was unaware that the individual he was communicating with was actually an adult operating a fake profile designed to catch predators. Despite being repeatedly informed that he was speaking to a person posing as a teenager, Mackie persisted with sexually explicit conversations, demonstrating a clear disregard for the truth of the situation.

During the court proceedings, Sheriff Craig McSherry sentenced Mackie to 18 months of supervision and ordered his registration on the Sex Offenders Register. The sheriff also called for a review of the case in four months’ time. As part of the conditions of his supervision, Mackie is prohibited from making contact with any child under the age of 16 and is not allowed to access social media platforms without prior approval from his supervising officer. Additionally, he must permit police and social workers involved in his supervision to inspect his electronic devices whenever requested, ensuring compliance with the court’s orders.

The court heard that Mackie had engaged with the decoy account, which was created by an adult named Denise Somers on August 31, 2020. The profile used a photograph of a consenting adult woman from when she was 14, and the account was named Stacey Carter. Throughout the exchanges, Mackie described in detail the sexual activities he was interested in trying with the supposed teenager. The fiscal depute, Mat Piskorz, explained that the responses from the decoy, which appeared innocent and non-sexual, did not deter Mackie from continuing his pursuit.

At one point, Mackie even asked the decoy to skip school and travel from Cardiff to Dunfermline to meet him. He suggested that she could take a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh and told her explicitly not to go to school. The messages quickly turned more explicit when Mackie inquired about her preferences and whether she would like to 'play' with him. When the decoy responded that she enjoyed computer games, Mackie made inappropriate comments about her body and suggested locations where they could meet for sexual activity.

He also encouraged her to meet him in person, despite the fact that he believed she was a minor. Mackie’s actions were brought to public attention by the West Lothian-based online paedophile hunting group STS, which shared images of him on Facebook in November 2020 and announced his arrest and subsequent charges.

Mackie admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a social media account he believed belonged to a child. He also pleaded guilty to trying to meet the operator of the account, still under the false impression that she was a minor. The court heard that he had attempted to meet the girl from a property in Cowdenbeath or elsewhere, with the intent of engaging in unlawful sexual activity either during or after the meeting.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement and online safety groups to combat online predatory behavior and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.