Massachusetts health teacher and amateur wrestling announcer arrested on child sex crime charges: report

Darren Benedick, 42, of Salem, allegedly planned to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex. He was busted in a police sting operation on Wednesday when the person he had been communicating with was revealed to be an undercover police officer. Authorities had been monitoring a "teens-only" chat room when they discovered Benedick and began speaking with him through online messaging, Mass Live reported.

Police said Benedick sent an officer posing as a 14-year-old girl an obscene photograph and allegedly detailed "the sex acts that he wished to perform." He also expressed "a desire to meet in person and engage in sexual activities." Benedick planned to meet the underage girl on Wednesday but was met by police officers who took him into custody. Newbury Police arrested him with the help of Salem Police.

Benedick has been charged with one count of child enticement and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, according to court documents. His bail has been set at $5,000. A judge ordered him to home confinement, no contact with children, and he must wear a GPS monitoring device.

Benedick, originally from England, is a gym and health teacher at Salem Academy Charter Schools. He also worked as a professional wrestling announcer with Chaotic Wrestling but the organization terminated his contract following his arrest, citing a "strict Zero Tolerance Policy."

"Today we received word that Chaotic commentator Darren Benedick was arrested on charges of child enticement and dissemination of matter harmful to minors. Chaotic has a strict Zero Tolerance Police and terminated all dealings with him immediately," the organization wrote on X.

While employed by Chaotic, Benedick was an avid supporter of LGBTQ representation in wrestling, according to his prior social media postings. Benedick operates an X account under the name "Reginald Kensington 3rd" which he has dedicated to wrestling commentary.

According to his LinkedIn account, Benedick has been employed as a full-time health and physical education teacher at Salem Academy Charter School since July 2023. He was previously the school's Assistant Dean of Students from January 2022 to July 2023.

Salem Academy Charter School has deleted its faculty and staff page from its website, but an archive confirms Benedick's employment. The school has not yet released a statement on Benedick's arrest.

The Post Millennial has reached out to Salem Academy Charter School for comment.