CLEARFIELD COUNTY – In a short period of time, 814Pred Hunters have made a name for themselves catching 16 individuals trying to meet with underage girls.
In an exclusive interview with the group, the leader explained they were called to take action after someone they knew well was charged with raping a teen.
“We thought if we were fooled, how many others are being fooled.”
When the leader approached several others asking if they wanted to start a predator hunting band of their own, “they were all on board.”
The leader talked with Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers to give him a “heads up” about what they were planning.
“We wanted him to understand we were going to be ‘piling’ up pedophiles.”
Sayers was “all for it,” according to the group.
When questioned about this, Sayers stated he doesn’t condone vigilante justice, but said these individuals have “obviously been helpful in shedding light on pedophiles and predators in the area.”
Sayers said he told them if they pursued their plan, he would file the charges, provided things are done correctly.
Because these predator organizations are popping up all over the country, authorities have discussed how to handle these cases.
Sayers said other DAs are waiting to file charges until after they get search warrants for the suspect’s phone to see if they can find additional evidence of crimes such as child pornography.
Charges are not being filed “automatically” in Clearfield County, Sayers explained, because each case is looked at separately.
“The real hope is that this is a deterrent to predators online when they see an account from Clearfield County. If they know this group is active, they will not come here,” Sayers commented.
Prior to getting started, 814Pred Hunters, discussed the possible dangers but they feel it is worth the risk.
They researched other predator hunters and decided to follow the lead of a Colorado organization.
This involves printing out a binder’s worth of messages from the decoy to the suspect to give to police and live streaming the encounter.
“We make sure we have enough evidence so the cops can arrest them.”
They are filming while they confront the defendant, because “I like to get a confession on video.”
They haven’t gotten any disapproval from local cops.
“They don’t want us to stop. They are excited about it.”
So, how does this work?
The decoys have profiles on dating apps with photos of actual women who are aged down to look like teens, rather than use photos of actual young girls.
It takes a lot of time to keep these guys on the “hook” and they were in the process of setting up meetings with four men during our interview.
The messages from various men come in “non-stop” on several dating apps with various profiles worked by the members.
Background checks and other research is done about the men so they have an idea with whom they are dealing.
“A lot of work goes into it,” one of them explained.
Currently there are 10 people involved, but others are now signing up to help.
Before they set up a meeting, the leader goes over everything to be sure they can be prosecuted.
“We want to make sure they go to jail after talking to police.”
Initially, only the leader and two other men approach the predators and later the others join them to create a gang that is a bit intimidating.
Multiple members of the group are armed during their encounters.
So far, they have had only one problem.
In that case, a man started reaching into the console of his car for a gun, but he was warned that the leader did not want to shoot him, which was enough for him to stop his efforts.
After talking with the suspects, they tell them that they are free to go, but by that point, “we already have their license plate” and can follow up with authorities later.
At the end of September, one man did run off, and hasn’t been caught yet. His family actually filed a missing person report on him.
814Pred Hunters are a tight group, very dedicated to their cause.
At first, they thought they would “catch one here or there and see how it goes.”
They had no idea how busy they would become.
“We’ve exposed 16 people who may have hurt kids.”
They have been contacted by friends of those charged who are surprised that this person was “like that.”
A parent commented that one suspect who had been caught she had trusted around her children and speculated whether he might have done something to them.
All of this has given the organization local recognition.
“It exploded way more than I expected,” the leader commented. “People know who we are and recognize us.”
Although many in the community are supporting their efforts, they have received some complaints, which is why they are staying somewhat anonymous.
“Some people think it is illegal, but it is not.”
They have received tips or suggestions on men they should investigate, but this is a line they cannot cross. If they target someone specifically, then it does become entrapment.
They are not just catching men in Clearfield County. They have also accosted men wanting to meet with their decoys in Elk, Blair and Wyoming counties.
Not all of them have been charged yet. Two cases are pending in Clearfield County with nine others already in the system.
Another member commented that they will have to build on to the current jail to accommodate all of their “catches”.
Dealing with other counties has been a challenge.
Blair County was “worthless” with filing charges, they explained.
The man they caught there had sent some of the worst messages they had seen, which included 50 explicit photos and 20 videos. He has yet to be charged with anything.
Another predator took them to Wyoming County, which was a 500-mile round trip. That DA has not done anything yet with that suspect.
Trips like this and the cost of printing the information for authorities has started to drain their resources. They are accepting donations to help cover their costs. (See their Facebook page for more details.)
Considering they only began their hunting efforts six weeks ago, they have been very successful, which makes them proud.
Taking these people off the streets is of utmost importance to them, as they are saving kids from potential harm.
“These people cannot be fixed,” which has been proven again and again, the leader said. “They don’t have the ability to stop it.”
If you would like to keep track of 814Pred Hunters and their exploits, you can follow them on Facebook or check out their YouTube page.