STEPHEN CAPON FROM DUNDEE SENTENCED AFTER CHILD PROTECTION TEAM STING IN SCOTLAND

A resident of Dundee, identified as Stephen Capon, has been handed a prison sentence following his arrest and subsequent conviction related to disturbing online communications. The incident came to light after a vigilante group, operating as part of Scotland’s Child Protection Team, confronted Capon at his former residence in Charleston. The group had been monitoring his online activity and discovered that he had been engaging in sexually explicit messages and voice notes with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

According to court records, Capon initiated contact via WhatsApp and maintained a series of inappropriate and sexually charged conversations over a span of approximately seven weeks. During this period, he repeatedly asked whether the girl would be willing to meet him in person and expressed a desire to engage in sexual activities. Prosecutors highlighted that Capon also made explicit comments about teaching her how to have sex and even offered to give her a love bite, which is a mark left by biting during intimacy.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael, presiding over the case, emphasized the gravity of the offense and stated that there was no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence. The court heard that Capon had a prior conviction for a sexual offense dating back to 2007, for which he had received a two-year probation period. This history was considered during sentencing.

It was further revealed that Capon believed he was communicating with a minor, but in reality, the individual was an adult working with Scotland’s Child Protection Team. The court found him guilty of engaging in sexual communication with someone he thought was a child, with the offending taking place between February 7 and March 30 of the current year.

During the arrest, Capon was confronted during a livestream conducted by paedophile hunters, which took place at his former home in Charleston. At the time of his arrest, he responded with a ‘no comment’ to police questioning. The court ultimately sentenced him to nine months in prison and ordered that he be placed on the sex offender’s register for a period of ten years. The judge took into account issues related to Capon’s mental health and alcohol misuse, which were raised by his solicitor, Theo Finlay, as mitigating factors.