The warning comes after a citizen vigilante group confronted an Indianapolis man who admitted on video, and in front of officers, to possessing child pornography.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metro Police say a detective is following up on a citizen vigilante child sex sting that is getting plenty of attention on social media. But they also warn these kinds of operations can actually hinder criminal prosecution.
The live video was posted Saturday, April 4 by a group called “Predator Poachers” and lasts almost four hours. 13News is not showing the video because it would identify a man who is not charged with any crimes, as well as his residence.
In the video, the 32-year-old man, who is confronted on his porch, admits to having child pornography on his phone and buying child porn. He also admits to sending photos of his private part to an underage decoy. Police are called to the scene. Then, the man admits to those things in the presence of officers. But the man was not arrested.
IMPD issued a lengthy statement:
“The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) is aware of a video circulating on social media involving an officer and a social media host regarding allegations of potential child sexual abuse. The video does not include important context surrounding the interaction. At the scene, a police report was completed, and detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit were notified of the allegations and will initiate a proper criminal investigation. While we need community members to speak up and notify us of criminal activity, we also need to be clear: law enforcement agencies cannot use vigilante-gathered information to make an arrest. information must be gathered through established legal processes to ensure it is admissible in court. Evidence obtained improperly or outside these procedures can undermine or derail an investigation, potentially allowing offenders to evade accountability and placing victims at greater risk of harm. IMPD can and does rely on legitimate tips from the community, which can play an important role in initiating investigations. However, vigilante actions are not a substitute for law enforcement and can ultimately do more harm than good. If you are a victim or know someone who may have been impacted or have information on this or any case, please contact the IMPD. Any information on separate cases can be submitted to the DCS Hotline at 1-800-800-5556 or the Nation Center for Exploited and Missing Children Cyber tip line: 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org or alternatively Crime Stoppers of Indiana at 317-262-TIPS.”
Bartholomew County Deputy Prosecutor Kristina Korobov trains child sex investigators.
“I would say this about the vigilante groups: We can respect that your heart may be in the right place and you are correct that there are hundreds of people online talking about kids, saying inappropriate things about kids, admitting to conduct with kids or exchanging information, but if you come into that information, what we are begging you to do is to call law enforcement and to provide that information to law enforcement, rather than showing up somewhere and trying to have a confrontation with an individual,” Korobov said. “It just really doesn’t allow officers to vet the sources of information before they begin an investigation. So that’s why it’s so important that if you suspect a person is engaged in illegal conduct or is sharing illegal images online, to call the police and let them do the investigation.”
Korobov is also a senior attorney for the Zero Abuse Project. She said another concern is that a confrontation with a vigilante justice group can allow the suspect to destroy or delete evidence before police can get it.
“There is nothing that stops that person from literally sitting there wiping their phone while they are talking to one of these predator catcher groups, and at that point, our evidence may be gone forever,” Korobov said. “And so again, it is something that interferes with an investigation, rather than serving as a springboard to a further investigation.”
As for the specific case in Indianapolis, there is a police report. IMPD says they have contact information for both the alleged suspect and the man confronting him. A detective will investigate further. The case has not been presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
A spokesman for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office provided a statement:
“We strongly encourage individuals to report suspected incidents to law enforcement as early as possible. Early reporting not only helps ensure the safety of those at risk but also preserves critical evidence so that it meets the legal and ethical standards required to be admissible in court.
We want law enforcement to investigate potential crimes of abuse— and we want to prosecute them. The Marion County Child Advocacy Center has always worked closely with law enforcement to consult, thoroughly review, and strengthen any case brought forward. Those efforts will continue without exception.”
