A California officer was arrested on Thursday after a college student used the gender swap Snapchat filter to trick and catch him looking for underage girls online.
According to NBC, San Francisco college student Ethan decided to pose as 16-year-old “Esther” on Tinder to take down pedophiles after a close female friend shared that she had been molested as a child.
San Mateo officer Robert Davies allegedly fell for Ethan’s plot.
“I believe he messaged me, ‘Are you down to have some fun tonight?’ and I decided to take advantage of it,” he said.
According to Ethan, he and the officer began texting on another app, despite the fact he claimed to be underage, and the exchange became more explicit.
Apparently, the conversation went on for 12 hours before Ethan sent screenshots to Crime Stoppers.
Authorities said that Davies faces a charge of contacting a minor to commit a felony, and he has been placed on paid administrative leave.
San Mateo police Chief Susan Manheimer released an official statement regarding the arrest last week.
“This alleged conduct, if true, is in no way a reflection of all that we stand for as a Department, and is an affront to the tenets of our department and our profession as a whole. As San Mateo police officers, we have sworn an oath to serve and protect our communities. I can assure you that we remain steadfast to this commitment to serving our community with “Professionalism, Integrity, and Excellence.”
