The leader of Surrey Creep Catchers, a self-described vigilante pedophile hunting group, has been sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to assaulting alleged predators during two stings last year.
Ryan Laforge was sentenced to 12 months of probation after being granted a conditional discharge Monday, CBC News reports. Laforge’s conviction relates to stings that took place last April. In one sting, Laforge was seen on video putting a man under citizen’s arrest, cornering him, repeatedly grabbing at his jacket, pushing him into the wall, and making threats.
Videos by VICE
In a livestream of the bust, Laforge said his target was willing to pay $50 to be with a six-year-old girl and her mother (both decoys made up by Surrey Creep Catchers) at the same time.
“We made a deal that if the cops don’t arrest him then we’re going to jail because somebody’s gonna get fucked up. Somebody is going to jail today whether it’s this fucking goof or me, I don’t care. So please share,” he said.
The other sting took place just a couple of weeks later.
According to CBC, another Creep Catcher, Lance Loy, 37, was given a conditional discharge for an assault conviction relating to the second sting.
Laforge has said he will no longer carry out citizen’s arrests. He and his crew were the subject of a VICE investigation in early 2017, which revealed their controversial tactics, including shaming people with developmental disabilities and mental health problems.
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