Hunting child sexual predators in Athens

By Joe Johnson

Athens police recently encountered several people who were out to catch sexual predators.

They came across one group at the QT on Atlanta Highway when investigating a report that they were following a male, stating that he was trying meet with w14-year- old.

When they got there, police said they met with a woman from Lawrenceville and man from Hull “who told us that they had set up their own child predator blah blah blah sting operation.”

The pair explained that the suspected predator had driven away just prior to police arriving.

They turned over to police text messages and photos they had sent to the suspected predator while posing as a 14-year- old boy.

Police said they met with a second group in Reese Pope Park where they explained that they were posing as juveniles online and trying to lure pedophiles to meet them at the park.

Officers explained to the group they they were not allowed to detain or question anyone and gave them a link for uploading any information or evidence for the police to have,