Rochester MN vigilante Chase Johnston avoids sex crime charge by pleading to lesser offense but faces NEW assault charges

He was warned multiple times to stop engaging in vigilante activity. He has a criminal record. He was accused of a sexual assault and pleaded down to a non-registerable offense. Yet people still think this lowlife thug is a "hero." Now Chase Johnston of Rochester, Minnesota is facing yet ANOTHER criminal charge. 

https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/rochesters-youtube-vigilante-again-charged-for-botched-child-predator-sting

Rochester's YouTube vigilante again charged for botched child predator sting

Mark Wasson, July 26, 2023, Post-Bulletin

ROCHESTER — A Rochester man on a mission to expose child predators has been arrested following a botched sting operation at a Rochester apartment complex July 23, 2023.

Chase Tanner Johnston rose to prominence last year with a series of confrontational videos in which he, or one of his crew, would pose online as a child in order to lure men to a meeting that would then be filmed and posted to social media. His channel was taken down shortly after the Post Bulletin's original story about Johnston facing a sexual assault charge . The charge was later dismissed as part of a deal in which Johnston pleaded guilty to a lesser, non-sex crime charge.

Now Johnston, 28, has been charged again — with felony stalking for his actions during the incident on Sunday. District Judge Joseph Chase released Johnston on his own recognizance at a hearing in Olmsted County District Court on Tuesday. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2023.

"They're trying to get me again," Johnston told the Post Bulletin. "Olmsted County has really got it out for me."

Johnston has several minor convictions for theft, driving under the influence and assault. Part of the reason he now tries to catch people he says are attempting to hurt children is because he is trying to give something back to the community, he said.

YouTube deleted Johnston's channel last year for violating its policies on bullying, Johnston said. Since that time, he took a break from conducting sting operations and filming them. The incident involving his recent arrest marked a return to those activities.

"The ultimate goal with this is to raise money to get sports equipment and stuff like that for kids," Johnston said, adding that he already has five baseball gloves to donate but is hoping to get more. "There are tons of kids that can't afford that stuff for whatever reason and then they don't have an outlet to get into sports and you know what happens next."

Johnston is one of a number of self-styled pedophile catchers who post their encounters online. Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. — including the Rochester Police Department — have discouraged such activities, citing safety concerns and the chance that a police investigation could be compromised.

"Mr. Johnston’s aggressive nature is also very problematic. For the safety of all parties, RPD strongly discourages confrontational practices like the ones used in the videos," according to a joint statement from RPD and the Olmsted County Attorney's Office last year.

What happened at a Rochester apartment building?

An officer with the Rochester Police Department responded to a call Sunday from the man Johnston is alleged to have confronted, a doctor in his 40s, according to Johnston.

Johnston posed online as a 16-year-old boy and began chatting with the man before the two decided to meet up, Johnston said. The age of consent in Minnesota is 16 years old. There are a few exceptions to the law, one being the type of job position someone has over a person .

According to the criminal complaint, the man called dispatch to report that he was being held against his will and was being set up for trying to sleep with a teenager.

"A male and female could be heard in the background calling the victim a pedophile," part of the complaint reads. Johnston and an unidentified woman were recording the man, yelling at him and following him, the responding officer wrote in the complaint.

The man told the officer that he met someone on a social networking application and they mostly discussed smoking marijuana. When the man got to the residence, Johnston let him in and then stood in front of the doorway and refused to let the man leave, the man told police.

"He was coming to the apartment to smoke weed with this kid. I told him that I lived on my own with a roommate because my mom was a meth head and didn't take care of me," Johnston told the Post Bulletin. "Legal or not, it was wrong."

When the man attempted to get past Johnston, he was pushed, the man alleges. While the man was eventually able to get outside, Johnston followed the man and stood in front of the man's car door.

"(The officer) reviewed the messages and noted that Johnston said he was 20 and then eventually said he was 16," part of the complaint reads. "The messages were about marijuana and victim also sent explicit photos."

An arresting officer noted that the conversation between Johnston and the man appeared to be consensual.

The officer who arrested Johnston told him that RPD had warned him not to do this kind of thing, Johnston said.

"He basically told me that if I keep doing it in Rochester, he's going to find some way to charge me no matter what," Johnston said.

RPD initially referred charges of false imprisonment and disorderly conduct, according to Rochester Police Department Crime Prevention & Communications Coordinator Amanda Grayson, who said that charges are ultimately up to prosecutors.

"Chase Johnston was reminded that he had been warned several times that if he continued to behave in ways that were against the law, he would be arrested," Grayson wrote in an email.

Johnston previously said that law enforcement hasn't done a good job of following up on his accusations. He accuses some law enforcement of just not wanting to pursue charges.

"They say that I'm potentially interrupting their investigations by doing this," Johnston said. "I have to disagree, because if somebody potentially has child pornography on their laptop or whatever and I go to expose them to the whole community, it's not that hard to investigate the guy."... 

"Instead of following the procedure necessary for such investigations, Mr. Johnston’s vigilante behavior led to his own arrest," Grayson wrote.

Johnston's stalking charge is a felony because of two previous assault convictions in 2022. One involves a misdemeanor domestic assault charge, and another involves a May 2022 confrontation in a Rochester gas station.

A video on Johnston's now-defunct YouTube channel showed Johnston and his friends berating and threatening a man they accused of trying to lure a 15-year-old boy for sex. The criminal complaint in that case alleged that Johnston struck the man in the genitals and face.

Johnston was originally charged with fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a gross misdemeanor, fifth-degree assault and fourth-degree damage to property, both misdemeanors. A plea deal secured a conviction for the lesser assault charge.

Kyle Swanson, formerly of KTS Predator Hunters in Illinois, moved to Texas and formed a new vigilante group, with predictable results

The last time we reported on Kyle Swanson, head of the controversial "KTS Predator Hunters" vigilante group, after facing felony charges including unlawful restraint, obstruction of justice, and assault in Madison County, Illinois for his vigilante actions.

Swanson was able to have his charges dismissed in Illinois under the following conditions:

• Swanson agrees to not violate any criminal statutes of any jurisdictions within the United States.
• Swanson agrees to cease his “sting” operations in Madison County, IL., whether as an individual, as “KTS,” or as a member of a similar organization.
• Swanson agrees to cooperate with any investigations or pending criminal cases concerning his “sting” operations in Madison County, including providing all digital evidence if requested.
• Swanson agrees to provide proof of medical/mental health treatment for self-disclosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by May 6, 2022.
• Swanson agrees to participate in 20 hours of community service and provide proof of said compliance by May 6, 2022.

After getting a slap on the wrist for his crimes, Kyle Swanson relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. Upon arriving in DFW he couldn’t help his attention seeking addictive ways and started a new vigilante group with accompanying Facebook page called DFW Exposures. (Not to be confused with "DFW Exposed," a website that covers local events.) Likely knowing he'd be discovered he's still engaging in criminal activity and possible go back to jail in Illinois, Swanson began posting new vigilante entrapment operations on Facebook under the alias "Kyle Guerrido". 

For nearly two years, Swanson posted new entrapment operations under the alias “Kyle Guerrido” and obtained the support and assistance from Courtney Fenner, co-host of a small-time “true-crime” podcast named “A Nefarious Nightmare.”

In 2023, Swanson attempted two GoFundMe fundraisers, one claiming his equipment was damaged in a sting operation (later admitting that was not entirely true):

...and money to go to Hawaii to entrap “a sailor”. 

DFW also sold T-Shirts with their silly new logo and another derogatory phrase ripped off from BLM:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Twitter accounts associated with DFW Exposures promote right-wing extremism:

But in September 2023, DFW Exposures posted a message they were shutting down operations...

...and Fenner posted a GoFundMe on Swanson’s behalf begging for donations for legal fees. (We assume he’s being sued for harassment based on what was wriiirn). 

Swanson now claims he’s moving to Florida to help start an organization helping disbled vets learn to Scuba and hopefully leave online vigilante violence once and for all. The DFW Exposures YouTube channel was renamed to "Hernando Beach Diving With Heroes." 

If this is causing Kyle Swanson stress, GOOD. Fucking retire already! He's been in legal trouble numerous times and he has NOBODY to blame but himself. And Courtney Fenner is an enabler who is putting herself in trouble of getting caught up in Swanson's criminal activity. Swanson should be in jail right now. BUT if this Veteran Scuba charity idea takes off, Swanson has the chance to rehabilitate from being the worthless vigilante thug he's been for the past few years. For once, he'll have a REAL job that helps people. So take my advice...retire.

Founder of Operation Underground Railroad and subject of "The Sound of Freedom" movie Tim Ballard sued over sexual abuse allegations

Tim Ballard WAS the founder and leader of the controversial group "Operation Underground Railroad," a group that allegedly rescues victims of human trafficking. OUR has so many controversies that an entire blog (not post, whhole blog) could be made about it, from alleged ties to QAnon, to questions about their impact and effectiveness, to falsely claiming a partnership with American airlines, to being denounced as an assistance organization by ICAC, because their organization is poorly trained and full of idiots. 

But now it is Tim Ballard being accused of sexual misconduct, and it is assumed he has been excommunicated from the Mormon church for these allegations. Allegedly,  Ballard sent at least one woman a photo of himself in his underwear and to have asked another 'how far she was willing to go' to save children, as noted in the UK Daily Mail (with accompanying pic as evidence). 

Those who bark loudest have the most to hide, especially vigilantes who are obsessed with sexual morality. That is why EVERY vigilante should be scrutinized carefully.

From: Mead Gruver. "Lawsuit alleges famous child-trafficking opponent sexually abused women who posed as his wife." AP. October 9, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/sound-freedom-child-sex-women-7a84b58452f2b5c89436769ab64700b7

"Five women on Monday sued the founder of an anti-child-trafficking group that inspired a popular movie this year, alleging he sexually manipulated, abused and harassed them on overseas trips designed to lure and catch child sex traffickers.

Tim Ballard’s life story and work with Operation Underground Railroad inspired “Sound of Freedom,” a 2023 film popular with conservative moviegoers. He recently resigned from the group amid sexual abuse and harassment allegations he has denied...

The complaints against Ballard center on a “couple’s ruse” he allegedly engaged in with Operation Underground Railroad women who he persuaded to pose as his wife to fool child sex traffickers into thinking he was a legitimate client, according to the lawsuit filed in Utah state court...

The ruse began with Ballard and women in the organization taking cross-country trips to “practice” their “sexual chemistry” with tantric yoga, couple’s massages with escorts and performing lap dances on Ballard, the lawsuit claims.

While promotional materials portrayed the group’s overseas missions as “paramilitary drop-ins to arrest traffickers and rescue children,” they mostly involved “going to strip clubs and massage parlors across the world, after flying first class to get there, and staying at five-star hotels, on boats, and at VRBOs (vacation rentals by owner) across the globe,” the lawsuit alleges.

Several women, meanwhile, were eventually subjected to “coerced sexual contact,” including “several sexual acts with the exception of actual penetration, in various states of undress,” the lawsuit alleges.

Even in private, the lawsuit alleges: “Ballard would claim that he and his female partner had to maintain the appearance of a romantic relationship at all times in case suspicious traffickers might be surveilling them at any moment.”

The women, who filed the lawsuit under pseudonyms, allege Ballard meanwhile used his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and connection to church leaders to persuade them what he was doing was just for the good of children in need of help.

Ballard said church President M. Russell Ballard, no relation, gave him special permission to use couples ruse “as long as there was no sexual intercourse or kissing.” The church in a September statement condemned Tim Ballard for “unauthorized use” of the church president’s name for personal advantage and “activity regarded as morally unacceptable.” Tim Ballard claimed a passage in the Book of Mormon justified performing “unconventional” tasks, the lawsuit alleges.

“Ballard would get ketamine treatments and have a scribe come in with him while he would talk to the dead prophet Nephi and issue forth prophecies about Ballard’s greatness and future as a United States senator, president of the United States and ultimately the Mormon prophet to usher in the second coming of Christ,” the lawsuit states... Ballard, who has said he was considering running for Senate, has blamed political opponents for the recent sexual allegations against him." -- END

Robert Wayne Lee, aka Boopac Shakur, had interfered with legitimate criminal investigations and had committed crimes before his murder

Police have made multiple warnings to vigilantes. This vigilante ignored the warnings. Instead, this vigilante decided to conduct in actions that not only hurt REAL investigations, he committed crimes in the process. 

From the Oakland Co (MI) DA's office

https://www.oakgov.com/Home/Components/News/News/873/2027

Because of speculation in that regard and questions about prior confrontations between Mr. Lee and people he identified as potential sex offenders, we are providing the following information.

Mr. Lee is known to law enforcement and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. He was involved in numerous instances where he posed as an underage person and identified potential sex offenders. Mr. Lee would arrange to meet with those individuals and confront them. Mr. Lee would often record and post those interactions and would sometimes bring the information he had to law enforcement.

Mr. Lee’s conduct has never been sanctioned or encouraged by law enforcement or the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. While identifying potential sex offenders is commendable, we were concerned that such confrontations would result in violence or injury.

In addition, Mr. Lee’s methods often impeded law enforcement’s ability to conduct a proper investigation and gather evidence that would be admissible in court. That meant that some individuals Mr. Lee identified could not be charged with crimes, or that cases against them were dismissed. In two instances, Mr. Lee was investigated for and charged with crimes for destroying property of individuals who were not the target of his “sting” operations....

“We all share the goal of protecting children and removing child predators from our community. One of the first efforts I undertook as Sheriff was to create a unit focused on tracking child predators. However, when private citizens attempt to enter this realm, they often do not know what constitutes criminal conduct versus disgusting or disturbing conduct. It is our job to ensure that our prosecutor has cases that meet the criminal threshold and have evidence that is admissible and can help obtain convictions. We also know that when confronted predators can become violent. We have seen them ram our police cars and fight with our deputies. If anyone has information on who they believe is a predator or they think has crossed the criminal line, we encourage them to share that information with us immediately so that we can work the case to successful conclusion while ensuring operations are conducted with safety in mind,” stated Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard.

VoidSec's latest Google blogs were shut down for harassment

While I'm sure they'll just post another idiotic blog that will have to be deleted, all that effort they put into their blogs attacking me and others in the anti-registry movement are gone for today. While Google has allowed other forms of harassment against me on their platforms, for once Google sided with what is right. 

By the way, thanks for proving it was you all along "Lucky." Loose lips sink ships, you punk ass bitch. 

VoidSUCK fails again. 

Robert Wayne Lee, aka "Boopak Shakur", FAFO'ed by teens he tried to set up in entrapment sting

IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE IS ENGAGING IN ILLICIT ACTIVITY, LET THE POLICE INVESTIGATE. DON'T TRY TO PLAY HERO!

Robert Wayne Lee, aka Boopak Shakur, thought he was untouchable. Well, he wasn't. He thought nothing would happen if he walked up to folks, accused them of being pedophiles, then punch them in the face, and nothing would happen. Well, it did not happen in this instance. 

In a previous intervew, Lee said he was inspired by online videos made by the lowlife vigilante group Dads Against Predators. Maybe he should've read up on them. DAP was lucky the guy who shot at them was a lousy shot. Clearly the ones Lee decided to assault had a better aim. 

These lowlife vigilantes are not heroes, they're just a bunch of punks trying to get Internet famous. 

Until legislators criminalize these vigilante activities, there will be more incidents like this. All it takes is a confrontation to someone who knows he has nothing to lose. Lee won't be around anymore to learn that lesson. 

I don't think anyone should be trying to set people up in entrapment operations, ESPECIALLY people who are not the police. They watched these online vigilante groups and just see people break down or run away. But sooner or later, they were all bound to run into one who don't take kindly to camera and accusations and assaults. And Lee started attacking one of the teens, so now it is self-defense. 

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2023/09/30/pontiac-man-known-for-pursuing-sexual-predators-killed-in-shooting/

Man known for pursuing sexual predators shot to death in Oakland County restaurant

By PEG MCNICHOL | pmcnichol@medianewsgroup.com |

PUBLISHED: September 30, 2023 at 2:33 p.m. | UPDATED: October 1, 2023 at 12:49 a.m.

A Pontiac man who gained notoriety for his unorthodox efforts to catch child predators was shot to death during an argument at a restaurant late Friday night. Two suspects have been arrested.

Oakland County Sheriff’s officials said Robert Wayne Lee, 40, was inside a Pontiac restaurant near the corner of North Perry and MLK Boulevard about 10:30 p.m. Friday when he confronted two men seated at a table.

Lee, who used the name Boopac Shakur as his online identity, accused one of the men of being an alleged pedophile and punched him, according to police. The man pulled a knife, police said, while the other man at the table pulled a gun, shooting Lee several times. The two men fled the restaurant....