DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Two men are facing felony charges after separate livestreamed child-predator “sting” operations in Delray Beach, putting a spotlight on a growing form of online content that can provide information to police — but can also carry consequences when accusations are made before an investigation is complete.
YouTuber and Kick streamer Vitaly Zdorovetskiy and his crew use decoys who pose as minors online, then confront men who arrive for planned meetings while the encounters are livestreamed to an online audience.
This week, two of those encounters in Delray Beach ended with arrests.
According to Delray Beach police records, officers responded Sept. 20 to a Steak ‘n Shake on West Linton Boulevard after Zdorovetskiy’s group confronted Che’viyante Marquise Hill.
According to Delray Beach police records, officers responded Sept. 20 to a Steak ‘n Shake on West Linton Boulevard after Zdorovetskiy’s group confronted Che’viyante Marquise Hill. Police said Hill had been communicating with someone he believed was a 15-year-old girl and arranged to meet at the restaurant. (WPEC)
Police said Hill had been communicating with someone he believed was a 15-year-old minor and arranged to meet at the restaurant.
The probable cause affidavit shows officers separated Hill from members of the streaming group before conducting their own investigation. An undercover officer reviewed the messages, confirmed the phone number involved and interviewed Hill, according to police. Officers also reported finding condoms and lubricant in Hill’s bag.
Hill was arrested on felony charges of traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Jeffrey Alan Marks told officers he knew the person he had been communicating with claimed to be 15. Police said investigators reviewed the communications themselves and obtained a sworn statement from the decoy before arresting Marks. (WPEC)
The night before, police responded to another Zdorovetskiy livestream — this time at a Chipotle, also on West Linton Boulevard.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Jeffrey Alan Marks told officers he knew the person he had been communicating with claimed to be 15. Police said investigators reviewed the communications themselves and obtained a sworn statement from the decoy before arresting Marks.
Marks faces three felony charges, including using a computer to solicit a minor, traveling to meet a minor and transmitting harmful material to a minor.
When does a sting become entertainment?
Richard Morris, a retired deputy police chief and current director of the Palm Beach State Police Academy, said civilian groups can provide valuable information to investigators.
“Anytime you take a sexual predator out, it’s a benefit,” Morris told CBS12 News. “If they can provide evidence that a person’s a sexual predator, they can provide to law enforcement. If they can help law enforcement develop a criminal case against that predator, that’s huge.”
Morris said cooperation with law enforcement and staying within the law are critical when civilians conduct their own investigations.
“The ones that are hindered are the ones that go out there unsupervised, you know, unethical, and turn around, and their whole motivation is how many likes or hits they get on social media,” Morris said.
The distinction becomes particularly important because the accusation itself can be broadcast to a large audience before police determine whether a crime occurred.
Zdorovetskiy has previously acknowledged getting such an accusation wrong.
In April, he publicly apologized to Akash Singhania after Singhania was portrayed as a child predator during one of Zdorovetskiy’s livestreams. Zdorovetskiy later said his team had mistakenly portrayed Singhania as a predator, that Singhania had never intended to meet a minor and had been cleared of wrongdoing. Zdorovetskiy said he removed the video and asked others who had saved it to delete it.
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For Morris, the usefulness of civilian groups ultimately depends on what they bring to investigators.
“If the people can provide information or they can provide evidence, law enforcement loves that,” Morris said. “If they provide aggravation, law enforcement doesn’t love that.”
