RCMP officer charged after vigilante sting
Investigation launched following ‘Creep Catchers’ confrontation
A Surrey RCMP officer has been charged after a police investigation into a Creep Catchers sting earlier this month, the second such case in recent weeks involving a law enforcement official.
Const. Dario Devic was charged Friday by the RCMP with one count of communicating with a person under the age of 16 for the purpose of sexual interference or sexual touching, and one count of breach of trust related to his duties.
On Sept. 7, the Surrey chapter of the vigilante group Creep Catchers gathered in a local parking lot to confront a man who had been communicating with a decoy working with the group.
In messages exchanged online, the man sent photos of a man wearing a police uniform and a man wearing a towel.
When a man arrived to meet what he thought was a 14-yearold girl, members of the vigilante group used a video camera to livestream the encounter near Central City. In one video, which has been viewed online more than 30,000 times, Creep Catchers Surrey chapter president Ryan LaForge can be heard walking up to the man and saying, “Officer — how are you? Creep Catchers.”
The man fled. RCMP launched an investigation. Two days later, RCMP announced an officer had been arrested. He was later released on bail.
Devic is expected in court on Oct. 19.
It is the second incident in recent months in which a B.C. law enforcement official has been snared in a sting set up by an online vigilante group targeting alleged pedophiles.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Kevin Johnston, a former B.C. deputy sheriff, had been charged with three counts of communicating with a person believed to be underage for the purpose of facilitating a sexual offence, and one count of invitation to sexual touching.
According to news reports, communications between a man and the vigilante group Creep Hunters began in August after a group decoy posted an ad to Craigslist pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. A man responded to the ad and began a conversation that later grew sexual in nature. Photos of a man wearing a sheriff’s uniform and of a naked man were also provided to the decoy.