Influencer Helped North Bergen PD Catch Man Who Allegedly Wanted Sex With Girl: Cops

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — A security guard at a Newark elementary school showed up in North Bergen last Thursday night thinking he would meet a teen girl for sex, police say.

Instead, an influencer who tries to catch predators called the cops.

Jeffrey B. Sanders of Newark was charged Thursday night with luring and enticing a child, attempted sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

Police said Sanders arrived at a residential complex in North Bergen around 11:05 p.m . on Thursday, expecting to meet "an individual posing as a 13-year-old female for several weeks."

When he arrived, someone called police.

A spokesperson for the North Bergen police said this week that the arrest happened because of an influencer who runs a YouTube channel called "Predators Poachers."

The channel is "dedicated to identifying and confronting adult men who attempt to engage in sexual activity with juveniles," a spokesman for the North Bergen Police Department told Patch.

The spokesman said that two officers responded just after 11 p.m. Thursday to the Plaza 53 complex on 53rd Street "on a report of a male party attempting to lure what he believed to be a 13-year-old female."

Police arrived and met with both Sanders and with Alex Rosen, who reported the matter.

"Rosen advised the officers that the suspect had been chatting online with a decoy who he thought was a 13-year-old female and convinced her to meet him at the said location in an attempt to have sex with her," the police spokesman said.

He added, "On scene, Sanders admitted to the officers that he was there to meet with a juvenile female with the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse."

Sanders was put under arrest and taken to headquarters.

Police obtained a statement and released Sanders with a summons to appear in court. A DNA sample was collected from him as well.

“The safety of our children remains the highest priority of the North Bergen Police Department," Police Chief Robert Farley told Patch, "and we are committed to thoroughly investigating allegations involving the exploitation of minors to ensure those who commit these crimes are held accountable."

Don't Try This Yourself

The chief said he discourages the general public from trying to catch criminals this way.

"While we appreciate members of the public who come forward with information that may help prevent crimes,
he noted, "we strongly discourage individuals from confronting suspected offenders, as these situations can quickly become dangerous and may interfere with active criminal investigations.

"If you believe a child is in danger or have information about potential criminal activity, we urge you to contact the North Bergen Police Department immediately so trained law enforcement professionals can respond safely and appropriately.”

Rosen founded Predator Poachers in Texas, and takes the operation around the country. He recently told US Weekly in an interview that catching criminals is "not hard."

'Several Weeks'

Police had said in a press release Friday that Sanders "allegedly communicated with the individual for several weeks through social media and messaging applications before traveling to North Bergen to meet for a sexual encounter."

Sanders admitted to sending sexually explicit images and videos, and told detectives that he worked as a security guard in a public elementary school in Newark, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the North Bergen Police Department at (201) 392-2141. Anonymous tips may also be submitted via email at tips@northbergenpd.com.