Surrey Creep Catchers, a group known for publishing false advertisements to lure adults looking for underage children, recently published a video spotlighting a UBC employee.
The university has since released a statement confirming that the man confronted is currently employed by UBC.
“The individual in the video is an administrative manager in student housing and hospitality services at UBC,” notes a university press release. “His role is exclusively administrative; in the workplace he has no direct contact with the public, including students.”
In the video, the man is confronted by the face of Creep Catchers, Ryan Laforge, who then asks him what he has done and demands an apology directed towards the camera. According to the Creep Catchers website, “We do not condone or endorse any harm coming to these individuals, minus public shaming and outting.”
The RCMP have previously spoken out against the Surrey Creep Catchers, warning that when law enforcement is bypassed, investigations can be jeopardized and key evidence can be lost.
"Individuals who engage in this type of action can also risk their personal safety or the safety of other youths and the community," said Sgt. Annie Linteau in an emailed statement to The Ubyssey.
Linteau also issued a wider warning against monitoring criminal activities online, saying such work should be left to police officers who can do this in a controlled environment.
"This way evidence can be obtained to support charges, which is the best way to get dangerous offenders off our streets," she said.
“UBC has initiated an internal investigation into this matter and we won’t be able to comment further for privacy reasons,” the university’s statement reads.