ALEXANDER POTTER FROM PRESTONPANS CAUGHT IN EAST LOTHIAN PAEDOPHILE SCANDAL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Prestonpans and the wider East Lothian area, Alexander Potter, a 47-year-old delivery driver, was caught engaging in online conversations with what he believed to be underage girls. The incident came to light after paedophile hunter groups, including Maximum Exposure UK and Groom Resistors UK, set up decoy profiles to trap individuals attempting to contact minors.

Potter’s online interactions revealed a pattern of highly inappropriate and sexualized messages directed at what he thought were teenage girls. One such profile, under the name ‘Scarlett,’ was used by an adult decoy to simulate a 14-year-old girl still attending school. Despite being repeatedly told of her age, Potter persisted in sending explicit messages, including the question, “do you want daddy to take your virginity?” He also asked her to call him ‘daddy’ and requested pictures of her dressed in a school uniform, further emphasizing his predatory intent.

His messages were not limited to this single account. Potter also contacted another decoy, operating under the name ‘Lucy,’ who was also an adult posing as a teenage girl. He expressed a desire to meet her for sexual activity, stating, “I want to meet you, I want to kiss you,” and openly admitted, “I could go to jail but I still want you.” The messages indicated a clear intent to pursue illegal activity, despite the knowledge of the minors’ simulated identities.

These exchanges took place over several platforms, including Hi5, WhatsApp, and Kick. On Hi5, Potter initially sent flirtatious messages to the ‘Scarlett’ profile in August 2019. The conversations then moved to WhatsApp, where he explicitly asked for photographs of the girl in her school uniform and described sexual acts he wished to perform. His messages included disturbing comments such as “[I want to] kiss your sweet lips while sitting on my lap” and “we would have to do it where we would not be seen... like the woods or a building somewhere.” He also made comments like “don’t worry I don’t want you getting pregnant” and asked, “do you want daddy to take your virginity?”

Further investigations revealed that Potter also contacted ‘Lucy’ on the Kick platform, where his profile included his image and the alias ‘Alex P.’ In September 2019, he sent explicit messages, including “I want to meet you, I want to kiss you,” and again expressed willingness to risk jail to pursue his desires. Both decoys handed over their chat logs to the police, which confirmed the nature of Potter’s communications.

Following his arrest, Potter appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month, where he admitted to indecently communicating with what he believed to be two minors. His plea was accepted, and he faced sentencing proceedings. Sheriff Alistair Noble emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, “You have pled guilty to two charges which plainly are seriousness enough for imprisonment.” The sheriff noted that Potter’s understanding of the gravity of his actions appeared limited but decided against immediate custody, opting instead for a social work supervision order and inclusion on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.

In addition to these measures, Potter is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any child under 16, except his own children. He is also required to surrender any internet-enabled devices for inspection upon request and is forbidden from deleting any internet history on such devices. The court also accepted his not guilty plea to a separate charge of arranging to meet one of the decoys at a caravan park in Dunbar for sexual activity, a charge that the Crown did not contest.

Gavin Whyte, the fiscal depute, detailed that Potter had initially contacted ‘Scarlett’ via Hi5 in August 2019, sending flirtatious messages that escalated to explicit content on WhatsApp. His messages included descriptions of sexual acts and suggestions of secret meetings in secluded locations. The investigation further uncovered that Potter had also contacted ‘Lucy’ on Kick, where he used the alias ‘Alex P’ and included his image in his profile. The explicit messages sent to ‘Lucy’ in September 2019 reiterated his desire to meet and engage in sexual activity, despite the apparent risk of legal repercussions.

Both decoys, acting on behalf of the paedophile hunter groups, handed over their chat logs to the police, which formed the basis of the charges. Potter’s guilty pleas covered sending sexual communications and making repeated sexual remarks to what he believed were underage girls, encouraging them to send images and calling them ‘daddy’ in a context that clearly indicated his predatory intentions. His actions have led to a serious legal response, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by online grooming and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts in protecting minors from exploitation.