Vancouver police: ‘Predator Poachers’ took wrong approach to nabbing those who target minorsSubscriber Exclusive

A citizens’ group called Predator Poachers was behind a fake online profile of an 11-year-old girl that led to the Monday arrest of a Vancouver man. But police and prosecutors say, “Leave it to the professionals.”

George Funkhouser, 46, appeared Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

Vancouver police said Alex Rosen called 911 around 8 p.m. Monday to report a sex crime. Rosen, from Houston, creates profiles posing as young girls and boys, then confronts people across the country who he says inappropriately message the fake profiles. He posts the confrontations on his group’s YouTube channel and other online platforms.

Sgt. Julie Ballou with the Vancouver Police Department said the agency does not “endorse or support vigilantism.” Confronting someone over alleged criminal behavior can be dangerous, and the evidence the accuser might have collected may not fit within the parameters of prosecution.

“Detectives attend hours of specialized training on how to properly engage with those who might have a sexual interest in children,” Ballou wrote in an email. “This is to ensure a successful prosecution, ensure the rights of others are not violated and to maintain safety for everyone involved.”

Instead of confronting someone, Ballou said, people should report the person to law enforcement, the social media platform or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at report .cybertip.org.

Rosen reported to Vancouver police that he and three other men, called Predator Poachers, had recorded themselves confronting Funkhouser over messages he allegedly sent to a fake profile of a girl Rosen named Emily, according to a probable cause affidavit. Rosen said Funkhouser admitted to talking with the girl’s profile in the video.

He showed officers printouts of conversations between the Emily profile and Funkhouser’s profile on a chatting app, along with text messages and Instagram messages, the affidavit says.

The messages show the Emily profile telling Funkhouser she is 11 years old and talking about a 12-year-old cousin. Funkhouser allegedly replied, “Age is nothing but a number. If two or three people love each other, that’s OK with me,” court records state.

The Emily profile asked Funkhouser to be her boyfriend, and he accepted. He asked about what they’d do as a couple, and the conversation turned sexual, according to the affidavit.

Rosen did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Funkhouser is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 11. His bail is set at $25,000.

Risky business

Lewis County prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, former president of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, said you never know how someone will react when you accuse them of a crime.

His office will review evidence sent by law enforcement, but he said people taking matters into their own hands can put others at risk.

“I would feel horrible if something went sideways for someone that was trying to help and ends up getting hurt in the process,” he said. “Certainly, if there’s suspected activity, we would hope that they would contact law enforcement sooner rather than later.

“It always worries me when you have civilians that are trying to do law enforcement investigations and then put themselves into harm’s way,” he added.

Meyer said he also can’t prosecute with evidence sent to his office directly by citizens. People must report crimes to law enforcement, who can investigate further and send any evidence to prosecutors.

If there is enough evidence to prosecute someone for talking to a profile posing as a child, Meyer said, he’d charge that person the same way he would if they were talking to a real child. It’s the same crime if that person’s intent was to inappropriately message a child, he said.

People should never use pictures of children as bait for child predators, Ballou said.

Ballou suggested that parents or guardians have conversations with their children about not interacting with strangers online, and monitor their children’s social media use.