Video captured the moments when a Miami-Dade deputy was confronted by a predator catching group in Delray Beach after he allegedly tried to meet a minor.
Christopher Diaz, 50, was charged with battery, Palm Beach jail records showed.
According to Delray Beach Police, on Friday, officers arrived at the IPIC Theaters after receiving reports of a man who traveled to meet with a minor and engage in lascivious acts.
An arrest report said Diaz matched with a girl on two different dating apps. The victim then told Diaz to text her, and while they were texting, she told him she was 15 years old.
Diaz, the report said, disregarded the fact that she was a minor and continued talking with her, and their conversations became sexual. The two would also FaceTime.
The two then agreed to meet in person.
In video captured by online streamer Vitaly, Diaz was confronted by the group 561 Predator Catchers, which set up decoys acting as minors on dating platforms.
“How old did she say she was?” a man asked Diaz.
“She said she was 15,” Diaz said.
“And how old are you?” the man said.
“Me, I’m 50,” Diaz said.
In the video, Diaz told the group that he was hoping that the girl he was meeting was 18 years old.
The group’s founder, Dustin Lampros, spoke to NBC6 on Sunday.
“At this time, we have a live decoy, so we had a grown adult who is playing the person who he was talking to, and she was there in person,” Lampros said.
At one point during their meetup, the report said Diaz was “touching her all over her upper chest area, including her breasts.” The report also said the decoy felt uneasy, and they went outside.
After the two went outside, 561 Predator Catchers made their move.
“What’s your biggest concern right now?” a man asked Diaz.
“Getting exposed,” Diaz said.
Diaz also admitted to being in law enforcement.
“Hearing himself say he works in law enforcement, he is a deputy with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, what goes through your head?” Lampros said. “That’s the person that’s supposed to serve and protect. That’s the people we look at that will keep our kids safe. Yet this guy is driving an hour north to go put a kid’s life in danger. It’s mind-blowing. It’s sad, and it’s one of the worst cases that we’ve had.”
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz released a statement on the arrest that reads in part:
“This behavior is unacceptable and represents a serious betrayal of the oath we swear and the trust our community places in us to protect our children.”
Diaz was booked into jail on a battery charge and has since bonded out.
MDSO said they have started termination proceedings for Diaz, and he was relieved of duty without pay.