That sting was run back in May by Millersville Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor and a colorful cast of characters he assembled for the operation.

Among the revelations, the recordings show:

  • Taylor did not involve other law enforcement agencies with more experience in such operations because of his unfounded conspiracy theories that prominent state officials are involved in child sex trafficking.
  • Members of a private group posed online as minors — despite Millersville police being told by prosecutors that the sting would be legal only if sworn law enforcement officers were the ones doing the work.
  • Shawn Taylor told one operative that investigators would be using “pre-signed search warrants,” which would likely be illegal, according to experts.
  • Police arrested one suspect then, when he refused to talk to investigators, they turned him over to the private group for questioning.
  • A Millersville detective boasted that the suspect was being taken to a jail where it was likely that he might not come out alive.

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240717120405/https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/franklin-politics/disturbing-recordings-from-inside-child-predator-sting-shows-police-maga-operatives-ignoring-laws

    • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      General IT work. One was remote user support, the other was remote MSP work. Lots of really cool people in the industry, but apparently some super sketch peeps.

      • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org
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        4 months ago

        At my last job, the CTO told me how he was promoted, and how his predecessor was in the national news. Used state owned computers to chat up a minor for months and then flew across the country to meet up and was arrested. Funny enough, he was not a cross dresser or liberal. Just a small town conservative older white guy that nobody suspected and everyone respected.

        • kescusay@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          That’s practically the checklist for child rapists:

          ☑ Older
          ☑ White
          ☑ Small town
          ☑ Conservative
          ☑ Well-respected

          I’m guessing religious? Respected pillar of the church?

          Yeah… These guys know how to present themselves in ways to avoid suspicion.