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Hey Chris Hansen, 20 Southern California boys just ran Operation String to catch a suspected child predator.
Riverside County deputies responded Friday to a tip that an adult was meeting a minor for sex at Nicholas Road Park in Temecula, according to a release. When they arrived around 4:25 p.m., they found a crowd of 20 minors filming Homeland suspect William Vandenbusch, 46.
Authorities did not say how old the minor was, how exactly he organized the sting, or how he had previously encountered Mr. Vandenbusch.
Still, a law enforcement investigation determined that Vandenbusch sent nude photos and agreed to meet minors in parks for sexual purposes, leading to his arrest on multiple felonies.
Whether the young detectives were inspired by Mr. Hansen’s NBC television series “To Catch a Predator,” in which hidden cameras capture suspected sex offenders arriving at an undercover police station to have sex with minors. It’s unknown.
The department warned against vigilante efforts to meet with and investigate potential suspects. In addition to being unsafe, the department said in a release that poor handling of evidence could complicate investigations.
“This action needlessly jeopardized the safety of everyone near the park,” the release said.
“Law enforcement professionals investigating these types of heinous crimes are professionally trained and follow specific procedures to ensure proper investigation, evidence preservation, and public safety,” the release states. has been done. “Following these specific steps will ensure that the investigation will not be compromised and a thorough investigation will be submitted to the local district attorney’s office for prosecution.”
KTLA reports that while local sting operations have had some success in prosecuting suspects in recent years, some cases do not meet prosecutors’ high standards.
Vandenbusch was charged with sending harmful material to a minor, contact with a minor for a sexual purpose, and arranging to meet a minor for a sexual purpose. He was taken to a detention center. Jail records show he was free on $25,000 bail as of Monday afternoon and is awaiting a court hearing Wednesday at the Murrieta Southwest Judicial Center.
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