A Science Teacher Tried to Pay for Sex with an Underage Girl. Here's How He Was Caught

Esme Mazzeo
·2-min read

Sean Stevenson pled guilty on Thursday, June 13 to a federal count of attempted enticement of a minor

<p>uchar/Getty</p> Stock photo of hands texting

uchar/Getty

Stock photo of hands texting

A high school science teacher and coach has pleaded guilty to federal charges after attempting to pay to have sex with a minor.

Sean Stevenson pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 13, to a federal count of attempted enticement of a minor after being arrested by an undercover officer in 2023 for attempting to pay someone he believed would introduce him to a 16-year-old girl for sex acts, according to a Department of Justice press release.

NBC San Diego, citing court documents, reports that authorities began investigating Stevenson, 58, after the April 2023 arrest of a pimp and a sex worker in a separate case.

While searching the phone of a woman arrested in connection with that investigation, police discovered text messages from a person offering the woman "a finder's fee payment ... if she could provide him with an underage prostitute," the DOJ release states.

Per the U.S. Attorney's office, text messages sent by Stevenson to the woman said, "The younger the better," and "Just keep it in mind if you come across any high school age girls."

An undercover officer began posing as the woman in the text exchanges and offered Stevenson a 16-year-old girl she claimed was her cousin for sex.

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Stevenson replied, "Oh ... yes!"

Stevenson and the undercover officer negotiated pricing for sex acts, with Stevenson saying, "Ok. Well I’m interested in her for sure!"

When Stevenson was arrested on October, 24 2023, during what he thought would be a meeting with the 16-year-old, he had $140 in his car.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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