Sex predator ‘catchers’ face felony charges after Texas confrontation, cops say
.png "The man fainted and hit his head during the encounter, Texas authorities say.")
Members of a group that targets accused sexual predators were arrested on felony charges following a confrontation with a Texas man, authorities say.
Three members of Oklahoma Predator Prevention (OPP), including the organization’s founder, are charged with unlawful restraint exposing substantial risk of serious bodily harm, the Mclennan County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 21 news release, criticizing the group’s “vigilante” tactics.
The charge is a third-degree felony in Texas.
OPP members created a fake online persona of an underage girl, and the Texas man contacted her, carrying out sexual conversations, the sheriff’s office said. Members then traveled to Texas and confronted the man on camera, at a travel trailer park, deputies said.
“OPP … follows a trend seen by similar social media vigilante groups, using ‘decoys’ and ‘catchers’ to carry out sting-style operations targeting individuals suspected of attempting to engage with minors in sexually explicit conversations or meet-ups,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the confrontations, which are recorded or streamed, are intended to publicly shame the accused offenders while also generating revenue.
The group, founded by Russell Goodwin, has a Facebook following of about 190,000.
During the confrontation, the man faints and hits his head, video posted online by OPP shows. At that point, the men call 911, and deputies arrive at the park about 30 minutes later.
Investigators say the video “revealed a coordinated effort by the three OPP members to control and restrict the man’s movements, including directing him where to stand, corralling him into a secluded area, all while using aggressive and profane language,” the sheriff’s office said. “The situation escalated to the point where the man lost consciousness, collapsed and struck his head.”
A fundraiser has been launched to help the members pay legal fees, and Russell Goodwin’s wife, Crystal Goodwin, took to social media to defend the group, saying “our guys were nowhere near (the man).”
The group “did not do anything different on this catch that they’ve done on any other catch, so honestly it’s mind-blowing,” she said of the charges.
Deputies investigated the man OPP accused of predatory behavior and arrested him, citing incriminating chats and a sexually explicit picture sent to the decoy account.
The sheriff’s office said it “remains firmly committed to protecting children from online exploitation” but “strongly discourages the public from engaging in vigilante activities.”
Without training or help from law enforcement, such confrontations can escalate into dangerous situations, or result in “tainted evidence and interference with criminal investigations,” the office said.
No attorney information was available for the men as of Oct. 22.