Creep Catchers sting leads to arrest

CHARLOTTETOWN • A sting by the controversial Creep Catchers vigilante group has led to the arrest of a 31- year- old Charlottetown man.

The man set up a meeting with who he thought was a 14- year- old girl on a dating site called Skout, Det. Sgt. Walter Vessey of the Charlottetown police major crime unit said Wednesday.

It wasn’t a girl, though — it was a member of the Cape Breton Creep Catchers.

“The suspect in this case initiated contact ... started conversation and eventually it led to making arrangements to get together for a sexual purpose,” said Vessey.

The man — a non- citizen who has lived in Canada on a work visa for about four years — was charged with making an agreement or arrangement to commit a sexual offence against a child.

Vessey said the man travelled to meet a girl behind Sydney’s Mayflower Mall. Instead, he was confronted and filmed by the Creep Catchers. The man was apologetic, and said he wouldn’t do it again .

The Creep Catchers alerted the Cape Breton Regional Police Service, which handed the case to Charlottetown, site of the alleged offence.

“It’s my first involvement with the group and I know there is controversy around the way they operate, but in this particular case, they made a complaint to the Cape Breton police, they provided supporting information, and the information resulted in laying a charge against a person who it looks like intended to victimize a child,” Vessey said. “Certainly we’re not in business with the Creep Catchers ... we just treated this case the same as any other tip that came in.”

The Creep Catchers are known for targeting people they allege are child sexual predators by posing as minors online, arranging to meet their targets and filming the encounters, which are then published on the internet.

Law enforcement officials across Canada have expressed concern about the groups, warning the public that confronting alleged child predators could put people in danger and compromise police investigations.

Police say the accused will appear in court on Aug. 28.