Who Is Ben Beauchemin? Is He Dating Casey Anthony?

Casey Anthony set off the rumor mill earlier this week when she was spotted on what appeared to be a date with a mystery man in New Hampshire.

And we've since revealed the name of the dude is Ben Beauchemin -- turns out he's got a bit of a past, too.

We're going to take a look into this guy's background and get a better picture of who the media figure -- who was found not guilty in 2011 of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee -- hung out with on Wednesday night.

Beauchemin must've felt pretty comfortable hanging out in his home state, as he says he's lived in New Hampshire his entire life in a video produced for the New York Times.

Beauchemin described himself as an Army veteran in the video, and he's also worked as a police officer in the past.

We've been told that he comes from a sizable family -- although none of them were apparently aware that he had met Anthony.

A family source also told us that Beauchemin stopped responding to his family and took down his Facebook page after we revealed he'd been out with Anthony.

His family members were also apparently unaware he had gone to dinner with Anthony, or that they had even connected.

Beauchemin's the owner of Wicked Weaponry, a gun store located in Hooksett, NH.

He's been open about the politically divisive aspect of working in the arms industry, and he described himself as a "liberal" who happens to "really love the Second Amendment."

The former cop told the New York Times he's often apprehensive about telling his left-leaning friends that he owns a gun store, and listed "women's rights, reproductive rights, and the economy" as his main political concerns.

Beauchemin -- who told New Hampshire Public Radio he'd been using guns ever since he was "five or six years old" -- admitted his political beliefs factor into his business practices ... and he claimed he likely wouldn't sell bump stocks in his store following the events of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting.

He said he wanted the arms world "to self-regulate as a gun industry, as a gun culture" in an effort to stifle further gun-related tragedies.

Beauchemin and Anthony's night on the town took place Wednesday this week at the Seasons Tickets bar in Manchester, NH.

A source told us the pair stayed at the pub for roughly an hour and a half, during which they knocked back a few cold ones and watched a Red Sox game.

They apparently even showed a little bit of PDA during the date -- which didn't look like it was their first, either -- Anthony touched Beauchemin's arm and leg while they spent time together.

Another source told us the pair describe themselves as being in a "situationship" at the moment.