Pennsylvania’s self-styled predator hunters face criticism and praise
By Meredith Jorgensen
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PENNSYLVANIA (WTAE) — A network of self-styled “predator hunters” in Pennsylvania claims to have helped catch hundreds of alleged child predators, but the state’s attorney general warns that these vigilante stings can be dangerous.
Brian Knepp, who runs 814PredHunters, a team of 15 people known as decoys, posing online as kids based out of western Pennsylvania, started the group three years ago after a man Knepp thought was a friend raped a child.
“I want every adult online to be completely afraid of even talking to a child,” Knepp said. He added, “I was fooled, and I’m pretty hard to fool, I felt anyways. But I wanted to do everything that I could possibly do to have this not happen again.”
Knepp’s team members say they have helped catch nearly 300 people they say are accused child predators. “It is that bad of a problem,” Knepp said.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Dave Sunday advises against such actions, urging caution with what he calls vigilante-type predator hunters.
“We don’t advocate for this,” Sunday said, noting the potential dangers and lack of training for those involved. “Because there’s a lot of situations that someone could find themselves in that could be very dangerous, and they may not be trained or prepared for that,” Sunday said.
Despite this, groups like Knepp’s are emerging across the state. Justin Perry, who operates in Leola, Lancaster County, poses as a 15-year-old girl online and claims his efforts have led to significant arrests.
“I never thought in a million years that I would go and get one of those guys and the police would use what I do and put these guys behind bars, and not just for a couple of days, the last guy got 10 years,” Perry said. Perry describes the conversations he encounters online as inappropriate. “It’s just not the way you would talk to a lady or woman at all, let alone a child. A lot of it is pretty gross and vulgar,” Perry said.
Perry admits he had a rocky start, finding that the Lancaster Bureau of Police didn’t want to work with him, and police departments don’t endorse his actions. The Lancaster County District Attorney issued a statement discouraging vigilante actions due to the risks involved.
“We strongly discourage vigilante actions as they pose serious risks to themselves and others,” the statement read. Perry said, “I would say for the most part, they can’t say it, like you are doing a good job, because then they would be like justifying it.”
Sunday emphasized the existing system in place for handling such cases, expressing pride in the work done by his office, local police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. “These cases are horrific, they’re disgusting, they’re tragic,” Sunday said. “I’m very proud of the work that our office does in this area. I’m proud of the work that the local police do, I’m proud of the PA State Police, like this is an area where we all work together literally every day,” Sunday said.
Knepp and his team at 814 say they have developed successful working arrangements with multiple law enforcement departments in as many as five different counties, including departments like Brookville Police.
“They trust us really well. And as I trust them, you know, I have zero problems giving them every little bit of evidence that I have,” Knepp said.
Perry noted the importance of thorough evidence collection. “Charging somebody, everything has to be like, everything has to be in line, all your ducks have to be in a row. After multiple guys, it’s like here are all the text messages,” Perry said.
814PredHunters claim they never initiate conversations online and try to give the person they’re chatting with an out, encouraging them to walk away. “Give them an opportunity,” Knepp said. However, many suspected predators still make plans to meet who they think are children, at which point the group turns over their evidence.
Sunday advises that if someone believes a child is being exploited, they should call 911.
“They need to immediately get the police involved so that the trained professionals can handle that situation and make sure they intervene as quickly as possible,” Sunday said.
Perry claims his system works, stating he says has caught more than 40 suspected alleged predators in multiple states. “I don’t know about making a difference, but I know it’s getting one more perv-, person off the street. I almost said pervert,” Perry said.
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