They’re Hunting Predators So You Don’t Have To

Online predators are actively targeting your kids right now, and two Michigan men decided they couldn't wait for the system to act. Jake Hockey and C.J. of Pred Task Force built a team that runs undercover stings, with decoys posing as minors on dating apps, confronting suspects on camera, and calling law enforcement when the time is right. Jake and C.J. are citizen investigators who have grown Pred Task Force from a local Michigan operation into a nationwide mission, with hundreds of thousands of followers watching their work unfold in real time. In four months of operation they caught dozens of offenders, and survived a loaded gun pulled on them during a confrontation. They walk you through exactly how a sting works from setup to confrontation to law enforcement handoff. They also get honest about the dangers they face, the legal criticism their work has drawn from local prosecutors, and how they define their role when the system feels too slow. You'll hear what they've learned about how predators operate online and what parents consistently get wrong about where these conversations start.

Key insight: Predators aren't lurking on the dark web. They're finding kids on the same apps your teen uses every day, and early detection is the intervention that most victims never got.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review wherever you listen — and if you haven't subscribed yet, now is a great time. It helps other parents find us.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Follow Pred Task Force on Instagram
• Follow Pred Task Force on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Pred Task Force YouTube channel
• Support Jake and CJ by purchasing PTF merch.

Join the conversation in our Parenting in a Tech World Facebook community.

Bark monitors your child's devices and alerts you to contact with potential predators before a conversation escalates.