A man is facing charges in Catoosa County after a popular YouTuber and his camera crew confronted him during an amateur child predator sting involving a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl.
According to reporting from WRCB Local 3 News and WTVC News Channel 9 in Chattanooga, YouTuber Jidon Adams, better known online as “JiDion,” and his team conducted the operation Tuesday at a residence on Greystone Drive in Catoosa County.
Adams is known for conducting amateur investigations in which his team uses decoy accounts to communicate with people suspected of attempting to engage in sexual activity with minors.
The man confronted during the Catoosa County operation was identified as 24-year-old Marcus Hard.
According to Local 3 News, Adams said Hard took an Uber across state lines to the Catoosa County residence believing he was going to meet a 13-year-old girl. Instead, the person Hard had allegedly been communicating with was a decoy working with Adams’ team.
Adams’ team told Local 3 that it had established a fake profile on an online platform and that Hard allegedly continued sending sexual messages after being told the person was 13.
An arrest report obtained by News Channel 9 states investigators determined there was probable cause to arrest Hard after he allegedly knowingly engaged in illicit conversations with someone he believed to be 13 and sent illicit photographs of himself.
When Hard arrived at the residence, Adams and members of his team emerged and confronted him while recording the encounter.
During the confrontation, Adams questioned Hard about the messages he had allegedly exchanged with the decoy. Hard eventually left the residence and fled through the area, ultimately running into the woods, according to the two Chattanooga television stations.
Adams told News Channel 9 that his team followed Hard and called 911, providing authorities with updates on where he was going.
Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Jeremy Keener told News Channel 9 that authorities were not aware of the operation until after the confrontation had already taken place. Deputies and investigators were dispatched after receiving the call and eventually located Hard as he came out of the woods.
Hard was taken into custody and charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes and electronically furnishing obscene material to minors. Local 3 reported that Hard was given a $10,000 bond.
While the operation resulted in an arrest, the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office expressed concerns about civilian groups conducting their own investigations into suspected online predators.
Keener told both Chattanooga television stations that such operations can complicate law enforcement investigations because civilians may use methods that differ from established police procedures or confront a suspect before authorities have had an opportunity to investigate.
Keener told Local 3 that each complaint is evaluated individually and that, in Hard’s case, authorities determined there was sufficient evidence to make an arrest. He also emphasized that protecting children remains a major concern for law enforcement.
Adams, meanwhile, defended the way his team conducts its operations. He told News Channel 9 that his group does not initiate contact, begin sexual conversations or send sexual material to suspects. Adams said his team turns its evidence over to law enforcement in an effort to provide investigators with information that can be used in a criminal case.
Adams also said his group has been involved in cases resulting in arrests and convictions across 30 states and hopes to eventually expand its operations to all 50 states.
Despite the Sheriff’s Office’s concerns about civilian predator-catching operations, Adams said his primary objective is getting suspected offenders arrested and raising awareness about the potential dangers children face online.
Information used in this report was obtained through reporting by WRCB Local 3 News and WTVC News Channel 9 in Chattanooga.
Hard’s charges are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.