STEPHEN BENNETT CAUGHT IN UNDERCOVER POLICE STING IN HADDINGTON

A man formerly employed at Tesco in Haddington has become the focus of a covert police operation after he was caught attempting to engage in inappropriate online communications with individuals he believed to be young schoolgirls. The incident unfolded when Stephen Bennett, aged 63, initiated contact with two online accounts that had been deliberately created by police officers posing as children. These accounts were part of an undercover operation aimed at apprehending online predators.

According to reports, Bennett began the interaction by sending sexually explicit messages to what he thought were underage girls. His conduct quickly escalated when he sent explicit images, including a photograph of his erect penis, to the accounts. Unbeknownst to Bennett, he was not communicating with actual children but with two police officers operating undercover. This deception was part of a broader effort to identify and apprehend individuals attempting to exploit minors online.

Following the online exchanges, law enforcement officials executed a raid on Bennett’s former residence located on Aberlady Road in Haddington in September of the previous year. It is understood that at the time of these offenses, Bennett was employed at the Tesco supermarket within the town. The police investigation led to his appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this year, where he pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to indecently communicate with two children aged 12 years old, with the incidents occurring between December 2020 and September of the following year.

Last Wednesday, Bennett appeared again in court for sentencing. The judge opted against imposing a custodial sentence, instead assigning a community payback order as an alternative. Sheriff John Cook also ordered Bennett to be placed on the sex offenders' register for a period of three years and mandated a supervision requirement for the same duration. Additionally, Bennett was sentenced to complete 220 hours of unpaid community work and was subjected to a conduct requirement, which entails ongoing monitoring of his mobile phone usage and internet activity.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Bennett had separated from his partner following his arrest and had since relocated to an address in Leeswood, Wales. Sheriff Cook confirmed that the court order would be transferred to Welsh authorities to ensure continued supervision and compliance with the court’s directives.