Scottsdale PD warns community not start own ‘to catch a predator’ investigations

PHOENIX — Authorities in Scottsdale are asking would-be “to catch a predator” investigators to stand down.

The Scottsdale Police Department warned community members to avoid investigations online and in-person meet-ups with alleged child predators. The department said that these types of personal investigations are dangerous and rarely lead to prosecution.

In fact, criminal charges can be handed down against citizens who try to conduct their own investigations into child predators.

“The Scottsdale Police Department conducts regular and thorough investigations to identify and arrest suspected child predators,” Sgt. Allison Sempsis said in a press release Wednesday. “Detectives who work on these cases have been trained specifically to conduct these complicated investigations and bring the best cases to the courts for prosecution.”

Sempsis pointed to the arrest of 42 suspects earlier this month as proof of their ability to catch child predators.

Scottsdale Police reported two incidents where teenagers communicated online with someone they alleged to be a predator and set up an in-person meeting to confront them.

“The best thing someone can do if they encounter online activity they suspect is related to the luring of a minor or other ‘child predator’ conversations or activity is to report it to your local police at once,” Sempsis said.

What the Scottsdale Police Department says you shouldn’t do

Scottsdale Police issued a warning about the following activities:

• Do not investigate incidents yourself.
• Do not plan meetups to confront the alleged “child predator.”
• Do not engage in vigilantism or threaten the alleged “child predator” with bodily harm, chase after them in vehicles, hold them against their will or cause damage to their property.
• Do not extort money from the alleged “child predator” to avoid police contact or reporting.

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