Calgary man arrested following Snapchat ‘catch a predator’ scheme in Airdrie

A “catch a predator” scheme led to the arrest of a Calgary man accused of abducting a 12-year-old in Airdrie on Monday, Mounties say.

It happened on Aug. 18 when a group of up to ten youth were involved in a scheme meant to catch a child predator, à la Chris Hanson’s NBC Dateline show in the 2000s, investigators believe.

They say the youth arranged a meeting with the suspect through Snapchat in the Cooper Crossing neighbourhood in Airdrie, where a 12-year-old entered the vehicle voluntarily so the others could record video.

The suspect then drove away with the 12-year-old inside.

Mounties responded to reports of a child abduction at around 8 p.m., saying the victim managed to escape the vehicle when the suspect stopped at a red light and called 911.

Shortly after, they say the suspect was found and made attempts to pull him over, but he fled southbound on Highway 2.

The man was found at a home in Calgary, leading city police to arrest him and turn him over to Airdrie RCMP.

Calgary resident Zain Merchant, 37, faces nine charges that include abduction of a person under 14, sexual interference, kidnapping, invitation to sexual touching, and three counts of breaching a probation order.

He is currently in custody and is set to appear in court on Aug. 21.

Police warn against ‘catch a predator’ schemes

The “catch a predator” scheme is a trend floating around on TikTok and YouTube, which involves luring a suspected child predator to a location to then assault them.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Auget with the Internet Child Exploitation Unit says the schemes are dangerous and often don’t pan out anyway.

“The citizens who undertake these vigilante aspects, which provide horrendous prosecution roadblocks for police, put these people in extremely high-risk danger situations,” he says.

“We do not encourage any of this behaviour. If you have information, provide it to the police agency where you are.”

Mounties are also encouraging parents to talk to their kids and relay the potential danger of participating in such schemes.

“This could have been way worse than what happened,” says RCMP spokesperson Gina Slaney. “We’re so thankful that the children are safe.”

In May, Calgary police charged six men and one teen in instances of “vigilante justice.” They say a group of three men and one youth posed as underage teens on a dating app, attempting to lure men to secluded areas to assault them.

With files from Lisa Grant