Man convicted of criminal harassment in Creep Catcher case gets probation, fine

RED DEER, Alta. — An Alberta man convicted of criminal harassment for his involvement in a Creep Catchers sting has been fined $1,500 and must spend a year on probation.

Carl Young, 38, also known as Karl Murphy, was convicted last month for his involvement in an incident where he lured a man to a meeting on Nov. 23, 2016, in Lacombe, Alta., and accused him of illegal acts with minors.

The man immediately denied he’d done anything wrong, and Young posted a video of the encounter online the next day.

Court heard during Young’s trial that he and the man had been communicating through the online app Grindr, where Young posed as a teenage boy and claimed to be 18 before later saying he was 15.

They arranged to meet, but the man testified he planned to watch a movie with the teen and that he has a learning disability that makes it difficult for him to pick up on social cues.

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In addition to the probation and fine, Justice Darrell Reimer imposed conditions that ban Young from having or using any electronic device capable of sending or receiving messages, unless needed for a job or as permitted by his probation officer.

Creep Catchers are private citizens who post videos online to expose people they believe are seeking out minors for sexual activity.

Defence lawyer Maurice Collard had argued that the fine alone would be sufficient punishment for Young, saying last month that his client’s motivation, while framed as vigilantism, was to protect other people from exploitation.

Young now lives in British Columbia.

(RD News Now)

in Red Deer Provincial Court

The Canadian Press