PETER STASZEK'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN DALKEITH: CHILD SEX OFFENDER REPEATEDLY SPYING ON PRIMARY SCHOOLGIRLS

In a disturbing series of events that have shocked the community of Dalkeith in Midlothian, Peter Staszek, a 64-year-old known for his heinous past crimes, has once again found himself behind bars. His latest conviction stems from his repeated breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which was specifically designed to restrict his interactions with children, following a long history of sexual offenses.

Staszek’s criminal record is deeply troubling. In 1995, he was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting to unlawful sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. The case was particularly horrific, as the girl was forced to give birth to a stillborn child, which Staszek then left in a park in Dalkeith. Despite a police appeal for the girl’s mother to come forward, the crime remained largely undiscovered until Staszek was linked to a second pregnancy of the same girl, which ended in an abortion. DNA testing subsequently confirmed that the stillborn child was his.

His criminal history further includes a conviction in 2002 for indecency charges, and in 2011, he received a 30-month sentence after being caught engaging in inappropriate conversations with a nine-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl while visiting friends. Recognizing the danger he posed, authorities imposed a ten-year SOPO in 2013, which prohibited him from approaching or speaking to children.

Despite these restrictions, Staszek has continued to breach the order. His latest offense involved communicating with four young girls on Old Edinburgh Road in Dalkeith, Midlothian, between August 1 of the previous year and March 2 of this year. The community was alarmed to learn that he was observed “every morning” standing near a primary school, where he would greet students with a casual “good morning.”

On March 1, this year, a girl walking to school with her friends encountered Staszek. He approached them, waited, and then stared at the group before greeting them with “good morning.” He then made an inappropriate comment, telling one of the girls she “looked gorgeous as usual” and asked if she had “a hot date.” The girl, visibly upset by his words, hurried to inform her teacher, who noted her distress and contacted her mother. The mother, concerned about the pattern of behavior, reported the incident to the police.

Following his arrest for breaching the SOPO, Staszek was identified by the girls during a police identity parade. The case was brought before Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Norman McFadyen sentenced him to three years in prison. The sheriff emphasized the seriousness of the breach, noting that Staszek’s prior record demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior towards children. The court’s decision underscores the ongoing threat he poses to the community of Dalkeith and the importance of strict enforcement of protective orders against known offenders.