A science teacher tried to pay for sex with an underage girl. This is how he was caught

Sean Stevenson pleaded guilty Thursday, June 13, to one federal count of attempted enticement of a minor.

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

Sean Stevenson pleaded guilty Thursday (June 13) to one federal count of attempted enticement of a minor after being arrested by an undercover agent in 2023 for trying to pay off someone he believed would introduce him to a 16 year old girl for sexual acts. , according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

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 this investigation, police discovered text messages from someone offering the woman “a finder’s fee payment… if she could provide him with a prostitute minor,” the DOJ statement said.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, text messages sent by Stevenson to the woman said, “The younger the better” and “Keep this in mind if you meet high school age girls.”

An undercover agent began impersonating the woman during the text exchanges and propositioned Stevenson for sex with a 16-year-old girl she claimed was her cousin.

Want to stay up to date with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Stevenson replied, “Oh…yes!”

Stevenson and the undercover agent negotiated the price of the sex acts, with Stevenson saying, “Okay. Well, I’m definitely interested in her!”

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

He is expected 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 with a certified crisis counselor.

For more People news, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on people.