Vigilante group targets suspected sex predators in Macomb County

CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - With the assistance of an unusual vigilante group, police arrested two men for attempting to have sexual relations with teenage boys in Chesterfield Township.

Both suspects made arrangements to meet up with adults who were posing as minors on a dating app. 

Four Chesterfield friends behind these arrests call themselves "Predelodeon." They work together to expose alleged child predators.   

"It just seems almost surreal," said one member of the group, Xavier Reed. "I can't believe we're actually doing it and making a difference for our community."

While they have taken down two alleged predators so far, police caution against such rogue behavior – as it can be dangerous. 

The alleged predators are typically "super persistent on sending nudes, sending pictures and doing stuff in person," Xavier told FOX 2.

After Predelodeon members pretended to be minors on dating apps, the first Chesterfield Township man was arrested on Saturday, trying to meet an underage boy to "engage in sexual acts," police said.

"I've never done anything like this before," the suspect told the group of men who captured the incident on video.

The next night, the same officers made another arrest at a Chesterfield Township Walmart. The suspect was another man, who is 36, caught by Predelodeon. He was also there expecting to engage in sexual acts with a minor, according to police. 

"(We) let them know you're free to go. We're not police. We're not authorities," William Reed with Predelodeon said. "We have no authority over you. You're free to go at any time."

However, the vigilante group told the 36-year-old suspect that he could avoid being arrested by police if he underwent some challenges.

'First he ate cinnamon, then he washed it down with Italian dressing, followed by a full bottle of hot sauce," William said. 

Even though he completed the challenges, police were still waiting on the other end.

"I have a three-year-old daughter. Knowing in 12 years that that could be somebody who potentially tries to talk to her is why do it," William said.