GHOST Team Snags Three Suspected Predators including Ex-Cop in Genesee County Sting Operation

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the arrest of three suspected sexual predators, one of whom is a former law enforcement officer, through the efforts of its GHOST team. The team, an acronym for Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team, targets potential child sex traffickers and predators through undercover operations online. These actions often involve officers posing as minors to apprehend suspects who are attempting to solicit illegal sexual activities from underage individuals.

In the recent sting operation, one individual, a man from Lapeer, partook in inappropriate communications with an undercover agent who he believed was a 15-year-old girl, according to ABC12. The operations also led to the arrest of a 60-year-old ex-cop who had served 20 years in various law enforcement capacities including positions within Genesee County, Tuscola County, and an agency in Florida. In a grim telling of the events, Sheriff Chris Swanson explained that the former officer intended to meet a girl after sending exceedingly lewd messages that constituted what the Sheriff called the most disgusting chat that GHOST has seen in a while, as detailed by an announcement featured on the GHOST team's social media channels.

Further details revealed by WNEM include the reported methods of the Lapeer man’s approach, who despite suspecting a trap, proceeded with his plan by making several trips around the neighborhood and came equipped with marijuana for the supposed minor. Chris Hansen, known for his role in "To Catch a Predator," accompanied the Sheriff during the social media announcement, emphasizing the importance of decoys in leading the GHOST team to these arrests.

Additional updates were published by WHMI about two other suspected offenders. They reported on 38-year-old Stan Evans Jr., who faced grave allegations after being caught by a family member while molesting a 4-year-old child. "The child's mother catches him in the act," Chris Hansen stated in his grim account of the event. "There's no gray area here. There's no oh he was cuddling her or anything like that. It was a horrific crime." Furthermore, the arrest of Nicholas Byrnes, a 40-year-old suspected of attempting to meet with a 15-year-old near Flint Plaza, was cited by Sheriff Swanson as an example of the urgent need to prevent potential re-offenses and protect more minors from falling victim to such crimes.

The formation of GHOST back in 2018 was a response to the rising concern over the safety of children online and the prevalence of sex offenders exploiting digital platforms to carry out their abuses, The team has collaborated with county sheriffs and police agencies across 53 Michigan counties to combat such incidents. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone who might be a victim or has information regarding such crimes to reach out for help by calling their dedicated number.