ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Catch a predator… but it’s the kids who play Chris Hanson.
It’s a new social media trend that local police are warning is not only dangerous, but could make it harder to catch and convict sex offenders.
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The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to two calls in the last week alone of minors soliciting alleged child abusers to confront them in public.
In a public service announcement posted on social media, a police spokesman warned that the trend could be dangerous and urged parents to discourage their children from enforcing the law themselves.
“Please don’t join this trend,” SJCSO spokesman Taylor Levesque said.
There have been several instances of adults using social media accounts and online groups to entrap child sexual abusers, and many of these encounters end in violence.
read: Putnam County jury finds former school security guard guilty of 16 child sex crimes
One YouTube account was found to have set up at least two stings in Duval County and one in Clay County within the past six months.
“Playing this game could lead to terrible and undesirable consequences for these people,” said Dale Carson, legal and safety expert for Action News Jax.
Carson explained that when minors are involved, they risk being assaulted, kidnapped or even killed if they try to catch a predator.
In addition to these risks, individuals without law enforcement training may have evidence dismissed, making it more difficult or impossible for law enforcement to bring charges.
read: Former JSO detective pleads guilty to sexually soliciting girl
“Plus, you could end up slandering someone and they could sue you or worse,” Carson said.
Carson said it’s not surprising to see dangerous trends on social media that appeal to minors, but that ultimately that job is better left to law enforcement.
“You’re doing something that could literally result in you getting killed, and they don’t get any gratitude for it,” Carson said.
Carson urged the public that if they have reason to believe someone is engaging in illegal activity, such as targeting children, the right thing to do is always call 911 or your local law enforcement non-emergency number and report the activity to the appropriate authorities.
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