Alberta boy who tried to 'catch a predator' lucky to escape after alleged abduction, police say

A 12-year-old boy who escaped the vehicle of an alleged abductor in Alberta after he and a group of friends employed a “catch a predator” scheme was incredibly lucky, says a police child exploitation expert.

This appears to be the “very first” time minors have employed the scheme, popularized by NBC’s To Catch a Predator reality television series, said Staff Sgt. Mark Auger from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s internet child exploitation unit.

“This could have been a horrible outcome,” Auger said Thursday.

“Any time you reach out to a random person, there’s risk of compromise just in a conversation. Then you elevate that to meeting them somewhere in public…. I think it’s a million to one that that child wasn’t hurt.”

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The “risk (of losing control) was off the charts” for the 12-year-old, Auger said.

“Defending themselves in a moving vehicle against an adult could have been horrific.”

The boy was part of a group of 10 youngsters who started an online conversation with the suspect and arranged to meet him via Snapchat. They met in Airdrie on Monday evening.

“I understand he got in (the man’s vehicle) voluntarily,” Auger said of the 12-year-old, noting the group of children was trying to expose the driver as a child predator.

“The age of these kids blew my mind.”

While he couldn’t speak to their motivation, Auger said it’s “typically for their (social media) views, their clicks, that gotcha moment.”

While they might have had good intentions and thought they were doing the right thing, “the ends don’t justify the means,” he said. “At the end of the day all we ask as police is be a good witness. Report it to the police of jurisdiction. That is what we expect. That is all that we should hold you accountable for.”

The reality television series the kids were emulating involves law enforcement officials trying to catch predators, he said. “It is run like a sting, but it’s done by police officers.”

In Monday’s case, the youngster approached the man’s vehicle and got in it while one of his accomplices shot video of the event.

“When things went south, I think there was quite a bit of panic,” said RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney. “Numerous people called 911. Some kids and some other bystanders. I think once they realized what had happened, thankfully they didn’t just run and be scared. They actually did do the right thing and called, and we were in the area. It was just luck (and) good timing.”

The boy “asked to get out and the suspect kept driving,” Slaney said.

When he stopped at a red light the boy jumped out, she said.

“My first question is: what was your plan?” Auger said.

“You’re going to confront somebody with a horrific allegation. What was your back-up plan? What did you think was going to happen? You don’t know what their reaction’s going to be when their fight-or-flight kicks in.”

There are lots of examples online where the scheme goes awry, he said. “A lot of times it turns physical, it turns violent. They’ve accused the wrong person, and they kill themselves. It’s just a horrible situation.”

And their work could be all for naught if the kids didn’t follow proper legal procedures. “It makes it very tough to prosecute these situations. When the police take action, we have judicial authorization, we have safety plans, we have articulation — we know what we’re going to say and what we’re going to do. Best intentions will never protect you in court, and they sure won’t protect you when you’re in a vehicle with a stranger.”

The alleged abduction took place in the Coopers Crossing neighbourhood of Airdrie, just north of Calgary. The 12-year-old was only in the man’s vehicle for a minute or two, Auger said.

“I believe it travelled a short distance. Luckily, they hit the red light, the vehicle stopped, and he was able to get out.”

If his alleged abductor had disabled the door locks, “who knows what could have happened?” Auger said.

The boy called 911 after he got out of the man’s vehicle. He wasn’t hurt.

The suspect drove south on Highway 2 toward Calgary. He was located with help from a Calgary police helicopter and arrested at a home in the city’s northwest.

Mounties charged Calgary’s Zain Merchant, 37, with nine offences including abduction of a child under 14, kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, fleeing police and three counts of breaching court orders to stay away from children under 16.

“He’s got a criminal history,” Auger said. “Our unit has actually investigated him previously a couple of years ago.”

He hopes the incident sparks family conversations about how kids use their devices to access the internet and who they actually know.

“This was a by the grace of God situation,” Auger said. “It could have gone incredibly wrong.”

Mounties plan to speak with students in the Airdrie area about the event when they return to class next month, Slaney said.

“We have to be very careful with things that we see on any type of social media,” she said. “There are bad people out in the world, and we should not be trying to meet up with any of these people. We should not be starting conversations with them. If you don’t know somebody, do not engage with them on social media. It only leads to bad things.”

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