An alleged Maryland pedophile’s worst nightmare came true when he met Chris Hansen, the former host of “To Catch a Predator.”
In a segment of his show, “Takedown,” Hansen helped police in a sting operation that led to the arrests of nine suspected pedophiles across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, according to WBFF-TV in Baltimore on Tuesday.
The operation occurred in October, when the suspects thought they were messaging underage boys or girls but were actually texting police.
Upon meeting, the suspects were undoubtedly surprised to see Hansen, who confronted them before they were arrested.
But one of the alleged predators, living in Gaithersburg, Maryland, predicted his own demise shortly before it happened.
Prior to meeting with the undercover deputy he thought was a 14-year-old girl, Tyler Devault asked if she was a police officer.
He didn’t “want to see Chris Hansen from the show ‘To Catch a Predator’ there waiting for him,” Devault reportedly said.
Unfortunately for Devault, who arrived carrying a pizza, that’s exactly who awaited him, according to People.
He was reportedly charged with one count of sexual solicitation of a minor.
“When I was first approached about conducting this operation, it was my sincere hope that we would come up empty-handed, that we would find there were no predators that wanted to terrorize our kids here in Harford County, and that the operation would end with zero arrests,” Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said.
“But sadly, that was not the case at all,” he said.
Police discovered something disturbing about another suspect, Nicholas Fountain, who was arrested in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
He reportedly owns two day care centers.
“We see this all over the country,” Hansen said. “People who actually either work with children or who counsel children in the mental health area or have children of their own, who are able to separate this activity from their parental responsibilities or professional responsibilities and to fend in this way.
“And, it makes you wonder what would’ve happened — although, I think I know — had we not been there, and had their actually been a vulnerable child there,” he said.
The arrests will be featured in “Takedown” this winter, when it streams on Tru Blu, according WBFF-TV.
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