Southern California kids execute sting operation to catch a suspected predator

LOS ANGELES — Move over, Chris Hansen — 20 Southern California juveniles just executed a string operation that netted a suspected child predator.

Riverside County deputies responded to a tip Friday that an adult was meeting a minor for sex at Nicolas Road Park in Temecula, according to a release. When they got there at around 4:25 p.m., a crowd of 20 minors was filming suspect William Vandenbush, 46, of Homeland.

Authorities did not say how old the minors were, how exactly they organized the sting or how they previously encountered Vandenbush.

Still, an investigation by law enforcement confirmed that Vandenbush had sent nude photos and agreed to meet a minor at the park for sexual purposes, and he was arrested on several felony charges.

It's not clear if the junior detectives were inspired by Hansen's NBC television series, "To Catch a Predator," in which suspected sexual predators are caught on hidden cameras arriving at a sting house to have sex with a minor.

The department cautioned against vigilante efforts to meet with or investigate potential suspects. The department said in a release that it is not only unsafe but can complicate an investigation if evidence is handled poorly.

"This action unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of everyone in the vicinity of the park," the release said.

"Law enforcement professionals investigating these types of egregious crimes have specialized training and follow specific protocols to ensure a proper investigation, evidence preservation, and public safety," the release said. "By following these specific protocols, the investigation is not compromised and ensures a thorough investigation is presented to their local district attorney's office for prosecution."

Local sting operations have seen some success in getting their suspects prosecuted in recent years, but others have failed to meet prosecutors' high criteria, KTLA reported.

Vandenbush was booked into the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center for sending harmful material to a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes and arranging to meet a minor for sexual purposes. He has not posted a $25,000 bail as of Monday afternoon and is awaiting a court hearing Wednesday at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center, according to jail records.