KEVIN CONVERY CAUGHT IN EDINBURGH PAEDOPHILE STING OUTSIDE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

An incident involving a man from Edinburgh has brought to light disturbing allegations of online predatory behavior. Kevin Convery, aged 50, was apprehended during a covert operation conducted by the online paedophile hunter group ASA Scotland. The confrontation took place after Convery initiated contact with what he believed was a young girl on the popular dating platform Badoo.

According to reports, Convery believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl named Mia. The conversation escalated after the initial contact, and once the chat moved to WhatsApp, he began to send highly inappropriate and sexual messages. These included explicit comments and the sharing of images depicting himself partially naked, which he sent to the decoy posing as the underage girl.

The incident unfolded when Convery traveled from his previous residence in Clackmannan to Edinburgh. He was then confronted outside the Scottish Parliament building by members of ASA Scotland, who live streamed the encounter to thousands of viewers online. This public exposure was part of the group's strategy to hold online predators accountable and raise awareness about online child exploitation.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Convery had been engaging with multiple women on Badoo, but his interactions with the decoy named Mia took a particularly sinister turn. He referred to her as “a sexy young lassie” and explicitly requested images of her naked. The messages further included demands for videos of her masturbating, along with instructions on how she should carry out these acts. Convery’s actions demonstrated a clear pattern of grooming and sexual exploitation.

Convery’s background includes a history of criminal behavior; notably, he was previously jailed in 1995 for offenses involving a child. He later claimed that he believed Mia was over 18 when he first made contact. He explained that feelings of loneliness and isolation at the time contributed to his poor judgment, and he admitted to continuing the messaging after being told she was underage, describing his conduct as “stupid.”

He appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on a Tuesday, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of sending sexual comments and images to someone he believed was a minor, between May 26 and June 21 of this year. Sheriff Adrian Fraser sentenced Convery to 18 months of supervision under the social work department and ordered that his name be added to the sex offenders register, reflecting the seriousness of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring.