Latest news with #PredatorPoachers
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ventura County coach arrested for allegedly trying to meet 13-year-old girl for sex
A Ventura County coach was arrested for allegedly trying to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex. The suspect, Gary Larson, 67, of Camarillo, was arrested following an investigation in February, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office announced on May 19. A records check revealed Larson was involved in coaching youth soccer and giving private tennis lessons, investigators said. On Feb. 8, Thousand Oaks deputies responded to a Target store at 2705 Teller Road in Newbury Park for a possible child crime investigation. Deputies were alerted to the suspect by an organization called Predator Poachers, whose undercover members had been pretending to be a 13-year-old while speaking with Larson. Predator Poachers is a third-party organization that conducts sting operations across the U.S. on adults who seek sexual activities with minors, VCSO explained. Larson was located at the store and detained for questioning, where he admitted to speaking with underage girls, authorities said. In at least one conversation, he allegedly described sexually explicit acts he was seeking to engage in with the young girl. He also admitted to sending explicit photographs to one of the girls he was communicating with. Investigators later found that he possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM), was active in multiple group chats on messaging applications, and had traded various CSAM videos and images, the sheriff's office said. He was arrested for communicating with a minor to commit a sexual offense, arranging a meeting with a minor for the purpose of lewd or lascivious acts, possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Days later on Feb. 11, Larson posted bail for $100,000. In late February, a 12-year-old girl and her mother reported a possible child crime to the Thousand Oaks Police Department. The girl and her mother said Larson had advertised 'tennis lessons for juveniles' on Craigslist and the child had been receiving tennis lessons from Larson for over a year. 'Based on the report, it appears Larson was 'grooming' the juvenile,' authorities said. 'Grooming, in reference to child abuse, is defined as a manipulative process where an individual builds trust and an emotional connection with a juvenile to exploit and/or abuse them.' Authorities believe there may be more victims of Larson who have yet to come forward. No further details were released as the case remains under investigation. Anyone who may have been a victim or has additional information is urged to call Detective Nicole Adrianzen at 805-494-8229 or email Callers can remain anonymous. 'The Ventura County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Sexual Assault Unit is committed to the safety of our community's youth,' the sheriff's office said. 'The access afforded to young people online can be overwhelming and is opportunistic to sexual predators. We encourage all parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with internet predators and to report any matters to law enforcement they feel are inappropriate or criminal in nature.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Minneapolis teacher charged with child sex crimes after 'predator hunter' sting
A Minneapolis substitute teacher has been charged with 14 child sex offenses following a sting operation by a Houston-based "predator hunter" group. Preston Casey Palmer, 34, is facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography and solicitation of a child under the age of 14. It follows a months-long operation by Predator Poachers, an online vigilante group led by Alex Rosen that lures suspected pedophiles and then confronts them on camera, which culminated with Palmer's arrested at Brackett Field Park in south Minneapolis on Wednesday. Police arrived at the park to be met by several members of Predator Poachers, who told officers that Palmer had been communicating online with a 17-year-old who was pretending to be a 13-year-old boy since March, with these conversations allegedly "overtly sexual in nature and involved the dissemination of sexual images depicting adults and children." Among the messages was a claim by Palmer that he had 87 gigabytes of child sexual abuse material and more than 1,000 videos, saying he keeps them on his "pedophone," according to the criminal complaint. The park where he was arrested is close to Palmer's current place of work, Sullivan STEAM Middle School. He has worked at several schools in Minneapolis since being hired as a substitute teacher in November, per the Star Tribune. The predator hunters said that Palmer allegedly agreed to meet in the park with the "13-year-old boy" and the boy's "father," who was actually another member of the group. While Palmer was being arrested, the complaint says a young child in the park shouted "That's my teacher!" Palmer allegedly had a flash drive and a cellphone in his possession at the time of his arrest, with the phone containing more than 18,000 files. While these are being forensically examiner, a "preliminary review of 40 random files were found to contain images of juveniles performing sexual acts." As je was being taken into custody, Palmer allegedly made "several spontaneous statements that he was sorry, he was an addict, and he will have a felony and be on the registry."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
GA man sentenced for distributing child porn in exchange for $200 Amazon gift card
A jury convicted a northwest Georgia man in less than 30 minutes for possessing and distributing child pornography. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On March 18, after a two-day trial, a Catoosa County jury convicted James Myers, 52, of soliciting, what he believed to be, an 11-year-old girl for sex. Trial evidence showed that Myers had begun messaging someone he thought was an 11-year-old girl named 'Emily' from Ringgold on Facebook. However, the 'Emily' profile was posted by a group named Predator Poachers led by Alex Rosen. The group consists of private Texas citizens who manage sting operations on potential child sex predators. The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office said that over two months, Myers became involved in an online relationship with 'Emily'. Myers sent graphic messages about sex acts he wanted to perform with her and repeatedly talked about wanting to impregnate her. After Myers arranged to have 'Emily' meet him at his home, a group member showed up at Myers and recorded him. where he admitted to viewing and sending child porn on the Telegram App. The DA said Myers also described his visits to the 'dark web,' where he viewed different types of child porn including infants and bestialty. TRENDING STORIES: Cinco de Mayo deals and freebies Teen charged in GA football player's killing was his teammate, played in state title game As she turns 100, mother of siblings murdered decades ago says she will forgive, but not forget The group turned over copies of the conversation to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office and Det. Zach Roden began to investigate. Deputies secured a warrant for Myers' phone. Authorities said they found pictures and videos of child porn and a text conversation where child porn videos were to sent to an unknown person through the Telegram app in exchange for a $200 Amazon gift card. On March 19, after less than 30 minutes a jury found Myers guilty of possessing and distributing child porn and soliciting a minor online. On Thursday, a judge sentenced Myers to serve 10 years in prison, followed by 30 years of sex offender probation. 'There are lines you better never cross with me--and wanting to destroy the innocence of our children with your sexual perversions is one of them,' said District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘I Love Little Boys': Affidavit details chat leading to Midland man's arrest in Predator Sting
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man is facing new felony charges following a 2024 sting operation involving civilian activists and local law enforcement. According to an affidavit, the case originated on Nov. 23, 2024, when 22-year-old Cade Horton allegedly arrived at a planned meeting spot where he believed he would encounter an adult man and his 13-year-old son. The meeting was part of an online sting conducted by Predator Poachers, a civilian group known for targeting suspected child predators, in coordination with the Midland Police Department. Horton was previously arrested on Nov. 23, 2024, and initially charged with possession of a controlled substance and online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct. However, court officials said new felony charges were recently filed this year after investigators issued updated warrants based on evidence collected during the original incident. According to investigators, Horton engaged in explicit online conversations with someone he believed was a father offering access to his child. During those chats, he allegedly made graphic statements about how he intended to engage in sexual conduct with the minor. When Horton arrived at the meeting location around 3:15 a.m., he was confronted by members of Predator Poachers and later detained by Midland police. A forensic analysis of Horton's electronic devices revealed what authorities described as a massive archive of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to the affidavit, more than 396,000 images were recovered, along with videos showing minors being bound, harmed, and sexually assaulted. According to the affidavit, Horton also distributed CSAM online, sometimes sending it with disturbing captions. Among the messages found were: 'You are a pedophile.' 'Embrace the animal desires inside you.' 'Repeat this loudly: I am a pedophile…I am a proud pedophile… I am not a mistake. I am what the universe made me… I am entitled to pleasure.' 'My desires are valid.' My pedo-(vulgarity) is a gift from God.' Other content and statements were redacted due to their graphic nature. Investigators also cited conversations Horton allegedly had with other unidentified individuals, in which he discussed his collection. In one such message, he reportedly wrote: 'I love little boys, is that ok?' According to the Midland County detainees page, Horton is currently being held in the Midland County Jail with a $250,000 bond and faces two second-degree felony charges: Attempted Performance by a Child and Possession with Intent to Promote child pornography. This case remains under investigation, and no further information is available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Branson man arrested after 'Predator Poachers' confrontation
BRANSON, Mo. — Despite the leader of the organization known as 'Predator Poachers' being arrested for harassment and trespassing, the confrontation led to the arrest of a Branson man accused of child sex crimes. According to online court documents, Joshua Teague, 35, is facing charges including enticement of a child and furnishing pornographic material to a minor. According to the probable cause statement, from Feb. 16 to Mar. 26, Teague was allegedly engaged in a private conversation on Instagram with a female who was 13 years old. The female was a decoy created by 'Predator Poachers', an organization that uses vigilante sting operations to catch sexual predators without law enforcement agencies. The probable cause stated the conversation resulted in Teague knowing he was speaking with a minor and continued the interaction. In the post-Miranda interview, Teague admitted to requesting sexual contact, requesting and sending explicit photos to a 13-year-old. Teague was confronted at his workplace by Alex Rosen, the leader of 'Predator Poachers.' However, Branson Police were contacted due to Rosen's behavior in the sting operation, which resulted in his arrest as well as Teague's. According to the probable cause, this is the second time Teague and Rosen have been in a confrontation. The first one resulted in Teague being arrested on Oct. 28, 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
