Decoy Officers Frequently Used to Catch So-Called Predators
Decoy officers are frequently used to catch…or entrap…so-called on-line child “predators”. Cops, relying on the anonymity of the Internet, pose as young children (usually 13 years old) in an effort to arrest unsuspecting individuals for a variety of California sex crimes.
One crime in particular is Penal Code 288.2 PC “sending harmful matter to a minor with the intent of seducing that minor”. Penal Code 288.2 PC “sending harmful matter to a minor with the intent of seducing that minor” prohibits sending explicit or obscene matter to a minor with the intent of sexually arousing yourself or the minor and with the intent of engaging in sexual contact with the minor.
Officers will ask for nude photos of the people they are communicating with, engage in explicit e-mails, exchange erotic text messages, and/or have “phone sex” with people who otherwise may not even have engaged in such behavior.
If you are accused of sending harmful matter to a minor under Penal Code 288.2 PC, be sure to discuss a possible entrapment defense with your California sex crimes defense attorney.
