An Alberta man has been convicted of criminal harassment for his involvement in a Creep Catchers sting.
Court in Red Deer heard over the summer that Carl Young, also known as Karl Murphy, met with another man in Lacombe, Alta., on Nov. 23, 2016 and accused him of illegal acts with minors.
The man immediately denied he’d done anything wrong, and Young posted a video of the encounter online the next day.
Court heard Young and the man had been communicating through the online app Grindr, where Young, who is 38, posed as a teenage boy and claimed to be 18 before later saying he was 15.
They arranged to meet, but the man testified he planned to watch a movie with the teen and that he has a learning disability which makes it difficult for him to pick up on social cues.
Judge Darrell Riemer will announce Young’s sentence on Jan. 22.
“You changed my life for the worse,” said the man’s father, who was reading his son’s victim impact statement in court.
“You made me feel that no one loves me and that I am pointless.”
The man wasn’t present for Monday’s verdict.
Related: Lawsuits against Surrey Creep Catchers allege defamation, threats
Creep Catchers are private citizens who post videos online to expose people they believe are seeking out minors for sexual activity.
Young had also faced a mischief charge but the Crown chose not to pursue it.
The Crown is seeking 12 months’ probation for Young, that he have no contact with the man or his family, and not possess any weapons and not possess or use any device capable of connecting to the internet.
Maurice Collard, Young’s defence lawyer, asked that his client receive only a fine for his conviction, saying the year he’s been living under court-ordered conditions has been punishment enough.
“His motivation, while framed as vigilantism, was to protect other people from exploitation,” Collard argued.
Related: B.C. privacy watchdog investigating vigilante group, Surrey Creep Catchers
(RD News Now)
Troy Gillard, RD News Now, The Canadian Press
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