'I feel horrible': UCSD professor Nisarg Shah confronted over alleged child predator activity; phone seized, not arrested
A University of California San Diego associate professor is under investigation after being confronted on video in an alleged online child predator sting. The video, widely circulated on social media, shows Nisarg Shah being accused of attempting to meet someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy for sex.
Shah, who teaches in the Aiiso Yufeng Li family department of chemical and nano engineering at UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering, was confronted on Saturday, inside a Pavilions grocery store in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood.
The sting was coordinated by online activists using Instagram handles @timjohnson.458 and @vans_against_predators, with the video watermarked by the group "People v Preds,' reported San Diego Ville.
— CollinRugg (@CollinRugg)
Activist Tim Johnson, who claims to have exposed more than 500 suspected predators, confronted Shah over sexually explicit messages allegedly exchanged on the dating app Grindr. Screenshots shared by the group show Shah identifying himself as 28 years old and continuing to chat after the decoy disclosed they were 'bout to be 15.'
During the encounter, Shah expresses deep remorse. 'I feel horrible, the worst I've ever felt,' he says.
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He describes his conduct as 'abhorrent' and admits to bringing personal lubricant and a douche, claiming it was to help the person 'get ready' and 'prep.' He adds, 'I fucked up. I need to maybe get help or something.'
Two San Diego Police Department patrol cars arrived during the confrontation. An officer is seen in the video informing the activists that Shah would not be arrested at the time, stating he was 'not allowed to arrest him' under the circumstances.
Shah's phone was seized, and evidence from the sting was turned over to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Although a photo shows Shah in handcuffs, he was reportedly released at the scene.
When contacted by San Diego Ville, Shah responded through his attorney, 'These are wrongful allegations and while I would have been willing to share my account, my attorney will not let me do so but he would be happy to speak with you.'
In response to inquiries, SDPD Lt Travis Easter issued a statement, saying, 'We are aware of the incident and our ICAC unit is actively investigating it. There have not been any charges made as of yet.
UC San Diego also released a statement, 'We have been made aware of the allegations against Nisarg J Shah. We will cooperate with all law enforcement agencies as needed during any investigation. The health, well-being and safety of our campus community members is our top priority.
All allegations of sexual harassment and sexual violence are taken very seriously.'
Shah is a specialist in immunoengineering and nanoscale materials. He earned his PhD from MIT and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University before joining UC San Diego, where he currently leads a research lab and teaches.
The incident has sparked widespread backlash online, with many calling on the university to investigate and take disciplinary action.
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