In Chesterfield Township, Michigan, a man named Christopher Anthony Paul, 37, found himself in a troubling situation after trying to meet someone he thought was a teenager for sexual contact. This encounter was actually a setup by a group of YouTubers who were pretending to be a 15-year-old boy.
When police arrived, they captured Paul on body camera footage admitting that it was his first time attempting to engage with a minor. He expressed regret and claimed he usually doesn’t go for younger guys, saying, “I think those guys are disgusting.” He mentioned that he had a rough week at work, which he suggested might have influenced his decision to meet up.
The police had been tipped off by the YouTubers, who had previously contacted Paul and another man, Dylan Michael Bishop, 23. They had shared screenshots of the conversations that took place on a gay dating app called Grindr. In one of the messages, the supposed teenager wrote, “I turn 16 in a month, but I act a lot older for my age.” When questioned by the police, Paul said he expected nothing serious to happen during the meetup, just to see if they clicked.
The police officer, clearly skeptical, quoted some of the explicit messages exchanged between Paul and the minor, to which Paul responded defensively, denying any intention of going that far.
Bishop, who was arrested the night before, also admitted to meeting the boy on Grindr. He acknowledged that he knew the boy was 15 and claimed that if anything had happened, it would have been limited to oral sex, insisting he wouldn’t have gone further.
Both Paul and Bishop are facing serious charges, including accosting children for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime. They have pleaded not guilty, with Bishop’s hearing scheduled for January 27 and Paul’s for January 29. This case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding online safety and the dangers of predatory behavior.
