From left, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and journalist Chris Hansen discuss the four arrests made in a recent Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) sing operation. Photo captured from GCSD Facebook page
GENESEE COUNTY — Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and journalist Chris Hansen, formerly of the NBC program “To Catch a Predator” recently announced several arrests made by the Genesee Human Oppression Task Force (GHOST).
In an announcement on social media, Swanson said four men came to Genesee County with the purpose of having sex with a minor. Two were illegal immigrants from Honduras, one was from Lapeer and the other from Utica.
All four were arrested in a sting operation using online decoys to make the suspects think they were chatting with minors, when they were actually law enforcement.
Swanson said one of the suspects chatted with the police for more than five hours, thinking it was a teenager.
“This was pre-meditated,” said Hansen. “You saw the man show up to the location, a grocery store parking lot, we saw him drive around multiple times surveilling the house, chatting with the decoy, and finally he shows up after he thinks the coast is clear.”
Of the four, Swanson said two of the suspects have families, spouses and children. Hansen called this the “collateral damage” in these types of cases because it affects loved ones of the suspect, who in most cases have no idea this behavior is going on.
He said one individual has a newborn at home, in addition to other children and his wife, and he’s spending five hours chatting with what he thinks is a teenager about the entire event.
“He thought he was smarter than us all,” Hansen said. “He thought he could talk his way out of it.”
Swanson said one of the arrests was a 25-year-old student that was so deliberate and very specific on everything that he wanted to do.
The man allegedly asked the decoy to call him ‘daddy’ and to say things that were “very, very vile,” he said.
When Swnason asked Hansen what he made of this suspect, the journalist and television host called it, “very disturbing.”
“When you see him walk in and he sees me, he goes white,” Hansen said. “He knows he’s been caught. He’s unprepared for it because he thought he did all this surveillance and asked the right questions. He thought he was going to fulfill this fantasy, but he was caught and he’s mad at me and your GHOST team because they interfered in this fulfillment of this fantasy.”
Swanson said this is why GHOST does pre-emptive operations, so it’s GHOST on the other side of the door and not a real victim.
He asked Hansen what his message to parents would be and the TV personality urged them to have a discussion with children to put them at ease about coming forward if something likes this happens online.
Then he said parents should call Swanson’s office or any other law enforcement agency so they can make a record of whatever their child has experienced.
“They will investigate,” Hansen said. “They will take it seriously.”
Swanson added this message applies not only to children, but to anyone who is vulnerable.
“We want to give you your voice and your freedom back,” he said. “If it’s not in Genesee County, then we can direct you to where you need to go. If you need help, you can come right here to the sheriff’s office or call 9-1-1.”