KEITH TURK CAUGHT IN ECCLEFECHAN POLICE STING FOR ONLINE SEXUAL CHAT WITH UNDERAGE GIRL

In a case that has raised serious concerns about online safety and grooming, Keith Turk, a resident of Ecclefechan, was apprehended following a police operation targeting online predators. The incident unfolded in Livingston, West Lothian, where authorities conducted a covert sting operation on the Kik messaging app, aiming to catch individuals engaging in inappropriate conversations with minors.

According to court records, Turk believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl named Amber. However, the person on the other end of the chat was an undercover police officer posing as a young girl. The police had been monitoring the chat after receiving intelligence that a Kik user with the username “Sheep1984” was engaging in conversations with someone he thought was a minor.

During the online exchanges, Turk sent an explicit image of himself to the fake profile and provided a mobile phone number registered to his workplace. Further investigations confirmed that Turk was indeed the user of that phone number, linking him directly to the conversations. The court heard that Turk, who is married and 36 years old, also made a disturbing request for the girl to send him a pair of her pants.

Authorities revealed that Turk’s online activity was abruptly halted when he suggested that he and the supposed 13-year-old should meet in person. Recognizing the potential danger, detectives obtained a search warrant and raided Turk’s home on Lenzie Avenue in Livingston in January of the previous year. During the raid, both Turk and his wife were cautioned, and the officers explained the purpose of the investigation.

During police interviews, Turk made unprompted remarks such as “I’ve been on Kik, but not since September,” which indicated awareness of his online activity. He was reminded that he was under caution, but his comments suggested a level of denial or minimization. When questioned, his wife identified the username “Sheep1984” as belonging to her husband, and his mobile phone was found to be the same number used in the chat with the fake 13-year-old.

Turk later pleaded guilty to charges of sending communications of a sexual nature to “Amber” and causing an older child to view a sexual image for sexual gratification, humiliation, distress, or alarm. These actions took place between September 23 and October 21, 2019.

At Livingston Sheriff Court, Sheriff Douglas Kinloch described the case as “concerning,” emphasizing that although the police officer was undercover, Turk believed he was engaging in a sexual conversation with a minor. The sheriff noted the gravity of the offense but also considered Turk’s status as a first-time offender and other mitigating factors. As a result, he decided against a custodial sentence, believing that a non-custodial approach might be more effective in preventing future offenses.

Turk was sentenced to three years of social work supervision, which includes strict conduct requirements such as a ban on unsupervised contact with children and restrictions on internet use. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 165 hours of unpaid community service within a year. The court also mandated that his name remain on the sex offenders’ register for three years, reflecting the seriousness of his actions and the ongoing risk to the community.