Pennsylvania cop busted by ‘concerned citizens’ in New Jersey underage sex sting
A cop from Pennsylvania got busted during an underage sex sting carried out by a team of “concerned citizens” who posed as kids, authorities stated.
Clifford Horn, an age 54 corporal for the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, didn’t have much to say when the concerned citizens confronted him in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sunday by a guy that operates the Colorado Ped Patrol — a team that tries to catch child predators, a YouTube video reveals.
“We’re just having a conversation with a gentleman trying to meet with a child,” Thomas Fellows of the vigilante team says to Horn while the cop purportedly got caught red-handed.
“Your zipper’s down by the way,” Fellows added. “You’re standing in front of the running car. We got your text messages. Listen, man, you want to talk and tell us why you’re here?”
“I’m not trying to meet with a child,” Horn responds, that evidently stated his name was actually Matt in the apparent text messages.
The cop at that point begins to leave as Fellows advises him to “take accountability” for what he did.
Awaiting police later apprehended Horn as seen in the video. However, the video has since been removed from YouTube.
Atlantic City authorities affirmed Horn’s apprehension on Sunday and said in a statement that he was one of 4 male suspects who is facing charges of luring/enticing a child by a variety of methods after “assistance” from the general public.
“The concerned citizens were engaged in posing as underage children on various social media sites,” authorities pointed out. “They would confront the individual and notify law enforcement.”
The police officers who responded were given screenshots of chats between the suspects and the citizen team before their apprehensions, cops stated.
Clifford Horn of Chalfont purportedly used Grindr to arrange a sex act with an individual he believed had been a 14-year-old young boy, sending out a picture of himself in his underclothing, according to WPVI.
Fellows informed the Philadelphia Inquirer he faced Horn at a place that was set up on the internet hours prior to the meet-up. He stated he had not been aware that the male suspect was actually a cop, however, presumed he had been a lawyer.
“He was just too good,” Fellows mentioned. “He wouldn’t talk.”
Fellows, that launched his team in April following one of his children being sexually attacked, stated he makes dating app accounts impersonating youthful teen girls and also young boys and then awaits responses from individuals. Meetings at that point typically take place within hours, Fellows claimed.
“They reach out to us,” he stated. “We never reach out to them.”
Horn as well as the 3 other male suspects that got apprehended since Thursday on the very same charge got released from jail on a summons, Atlantic City authorities stated.
The other three suspects have been identified as age 51 Jose Machuca of Hyattsville, Maryland; age 26 Sambatrimiaina Raminoson of Atlantic City; and also age 49 Eugene Pulley of Philadelphia.
The police department suspended Clifford Horn on Monday with no pay effective right away, according to CBS Philadelphia.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub pointed out on Monday that his office is going to begin assessing all unlawful cases through which Cpl. Horn had been included.
“Our office has assigned personnel to assist New Jersey authorities in any capacity and to investigate and prosecute any criminal activity that may have occurred in Bucks County,” D.A. Weintraub stated.
“This office protects all victims, regardless of whether the accused perpetrator is an officer of the law or not. No one is above the law.”
