A group of teens tried to expose a man they believed was targeting young girls online, and police say it nearly ended in tragedy.
According to NBC News and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, a man named Robert was arrested on charges of kidnapping, sending harmful matter to a minor and communicating with a minor for specific offenses. The 32 year old had been exchanging text messages with a group of girls, who agreed to meet him Sunday near a Starbucks in Vista, California.
Investigators said that when the girls arrived, he persuaded one of them to get in his car and drove off. The teen messaged her friends for help and they called police. Deputies reached the man by phone and convinced him to pull over. The teen got out of the car unharmed.
The girls told police they had planned to expose the man and hand what they gathered to law enforcement. The sheriff’s office is now warning people not to run their own stings. In its news release, it said these situations can be extremely dangerous and should be handled by local law enforcement.
The charges are allegations, and the man is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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