JAMES STEVEN OF ABERDEEN HARE COURTING GANG CAUGHT TARGETING TEENAGE DECOYS

James Steven, a 27-year-old man with ties to the Aberdeen Hare Coursing Gang, has been involved in a disturbing case of online predation that has shocked the local community. The incident unfolded after Steven falsely claimed to be taking part in an online cookery course, a ruse he used to mask his true intentions of targeting vulnerable young girls.

Steven’s criminal history includes a conviction from 2021, when he was found guilty of sending inappropriate and sexual messages via Snapchat to a 12-year-old girl. Despite his previous conviction, he was under strict orders from a sheriff to keep police informed about his computer activity. When questioned, Steven insisted that his new laptop was solely intended for improving his cooking skills.

However, less than a day after acquiring the device, Steven resumed his illicit activities. He began engaging in conversations with what he believed were teenage girls, asking them to send photographs of themselves dressed in school uniforms. These interactions were not with real minors but with decoys set up by a paedophile detection group, which had been monitoring his online behavior.

Authorities were alerted when the group tipped off the police about Steven’s activities. Law enforcement officers responded swiftly, visiting his residence in Aberdeen. During the investigation, they discovered Steven’s laptop logged into Facebook and actively engaged in a chat with a teenage decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl. Evidence also showed that Steven had sent images of himself to the decoy, further confirming his predatory intent.

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday, the prosecution, led by Fiscal depute David Ballock, detailed the case. Steven had approached the police at Marischal College Police Station on August 29 of the previous year, claiming that his new laptop was intended solely for cooking purposes. The very next day, he created a profile under the name ‘Jey Smith’ and began messaging a profile named ‘Lilly,’ who claimed to be 14 years old.

Despite the gravity of his actions, Steven was not sentenced to immediate imprisonment. The court’s proceedings highlighted the ongoing concern about online grooming and the importance of vigilance in protecting minors from predators operating under false pretenses. The case remains a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in digital spaces and the need for continued enforcement against those who exploit them.