Non-profit group helps police nab suspected online child predators
Bikers Against Predators has been active with cases in Northeast Mississippi
PRENTISS COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – The Facebook live posts by the group Bikers Against Predators show encounters with men who allegedly have inappropriate electronic, email, or text conversations with decoys posing as minors.
A recent case was in Booneville.
“We put these accounts online, social media, and we sit there portraying to be an underage child and guys reach out to us,” said Robert Bloom, President of Bikers Against Predators.
Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar said his deputies were alerted by Bikers Against Predators after the contact was made. All evidence was given to investigators and 43-year-old Jeremy Bryant Holloway was arrested and charged with enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes.
“Once we consulted with the D.A., they told us, looks like you have enough probable cause to take the individual into custody based on the work the individual did,” Sheriff Tolar said.
Bloom founded Bikers Against Predators several years ago, after a family member was the victim of an online predator. Bloom said the main goal is to help police nab those who are seeking to harm children.
“Sometimes when law enforcement is overburdened, maybe this would be put on the back because of other cases they are working. When we meet u with them, we are not law enforcement, we don’t have to Mirandize them, we can ask them any questions, and we tell them it is voluntary to talk to us, no coercion, these guys are openly admitting to crimes, which is all recorded,” Bloom said.
While Sheriff Tolar appreciates Bikers Against Predators’ work, he said confronting a potential suspect always entails danger.
“I have mixed feelings, not about getting these predators off the streets, but the fact it was handled the way it was, where they go to a house, cold and they approach an individual without notifying law enforcement first,” Sheriff Tolar said.
So far, nationwide there have been sixty five convictions in cases initiated by Bikers Against Predators and there are more than 65 convictions have resulted in cases initiated by Bikers Against Predators, and there are approximately eighty more suspects who have been arrested and are awaiting trial.
For information on Bikers Against Predators, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/Bikersagainstpredators1
