"Bikers Against Predators" investigation leads to child pornography arrest in Massachusetts
EAST BRIDGEWATER - A 21-year-old East Bridgewater man was arraigned on child pornography charges after a lengthy investigation by a vigilante motorcycle group. Jason Giles showed no emotion in Brockton District Court Friday.
"The defendant was forthcoming that he believed he was talking to an underage girl," the Plymouth County prosecutor said in court.
The 21-year-old has been under investigation by the non-profit group "Bikers Against Predators" since June. The volunteers out of Indiana create profiles pretending to be minors.
"We just put profiles online and individuals reach out to those profiles and take those conversations where they want and arrange meet-ups," said one member who goes by Boots for safety reasons.
When the conversation takes a seemingly criminal turn, the volunteers drive across the country to confront whoever's on the other side of the screen with the help of local police.
Suspect confronted at East Bridgewater home
Boots from Bikers Against Predators spoke with Giles at his home in East Bridgewater on Wednesday.
"If I was to open your phone right now, would I see anything that I don't want to see," Boots asked in the cellphone video.
"No. No, nothing," Giles replied.
That conversation is being used as evidence in court.
An employee of Bikers Against Predators called East Bridgewater police as Boots was at Giles' home on Wednesday. Police responded to the home and seized Giles' phone as evidence. On Thursday, Giles was arrested at his house without incident.
"Very early on in the conversation, Mr. Giles begins to ask the 11-year-old how old she was, and they responded she was 11," the prosecutor explained to the judge.
Giles' lawyer said the 21-year-old is on the autism spectrum and didn't fully understand the gravity of the situation.
"There are a lot of cognitive issues, mental health issues," she told the court.
Legal analyst on vigilante groups
WBZ legal analyst Jennifer Roman told WBZ-TV that even though the "fake" victim wasn't actually underage, it all boils down to intent.
"He just has to believe that the person who he's communicating with is a child and take steps that are criminal," she explained.
While this isn't a conventional way to catch an alleged predator, Roman said it can sometimes be effective.
"It points to when these civil vigilante groups seem to work," she said.
The judge set bail at $10,000 and ordered that Giles be under home confinement with no contact with minors until his next court date.