EDINBURGH HEALTH WORKER STUART THORNE CAUGHT IN UNDERCOVER POLICE STING INVOLVING ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Edinburgh, a mental health support worker named Stuart Thorne, aged 50, has been found guilty of engaging in illegal online activities involving a minor. Thorne was apprehended after an undercover police operation designed to catch online predators, during which he believed he was communicating with a young girl named Griff. Instead, he was speaking to an officer who had created a fake social media profile to lure individuals attempting to exploit children.

According to court records, the incident took place in June 2023. Thorne initiated contact with the profile, which he believed belonged to a young girl. Over the course of their online exchanges, he made repulsive sexual comments, explicitly asking the girl to send nude images of herself. The conversation also involved discussions about masturbation, and Thorne went as far as sending an image of his own genitals, displaying a depraved level of misconduct.

The police operation was part of a broader effort to combat online child exploitation, and Thorne’s actions were caught in the act. It was revealed that he was not communicating with a minor but with an undercover officer who had set up the profile as part of an ongoing investigation into online predators.

Thorne, who resides in the Stenhouse area of Edinburgh, appeared before the city’s sheriff court on March 27. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to communicate sexually with a young child. During the hearing, his defense lawyer, Joe Boyd, described the crime as “inexplicable” and emphasized that Thorne has taken full responsibility for his actions. Mr. Boyd also noted that at the time of the offense, Thorne was employed as a support worker at a mental health unit, a position from which he has now been dismissed. Additionally, the incident has led to the end of his personal relationship.

In sentencing, Sheriff Peter McCormack ordered Thorne to be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of five years. Furthermore, he was sentenced to complete 160 hours of unpaid community service, a measure intended to serve as an alternative to imprisonment. The case has raised serious concerns about safeguarding and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect vulnerable children from online predators in Edinburgh and beyond.