Skeeter Jean

Skeeter Jean, also known as Skeet Hansen, is the pseudonym of an American YouTuber, vigilante, and impersonator of Chris Hansen, known for confronting potential Online predator|Internet sex predators using a sting operation, similar to Hansen's To Catch a Predator (2004-07).
== Early life ==
A Michigan native, Jean was inspired to become a YouTuber during his youth, eventually pursuing it as a full-time job.
== Career ==
=== YouTube ===
Characterized as a "professional Chris Hansen impersonator", Jean's content focuses on catching potential sex predators through Dating app|dating apps, a format inspired by Hansen's To Catch a Predator (2004-07). With context given at the beginning of a video, he sets up a profile posing as a minor, sometimes using younger photos of his friend, between 13 and 14 years old. Jean waits for the adult to message him first, letting them know early into the conversation that he, as the decoy, is underage. Suppose the conversation becomes sexually explicit, they Sting operation|arrange a meetup where Jean and a crew of others confront them in a random location, holding evidence acquiring their exchanges. He later uploads the confrontations onto YouTube and other social media outlets.
As of 2023, Jean has set up over 50 sting operations, with only three suspects arrested and another not yet charged for allegedly trying to meet an 18-year-old girl. One of the videos, uploaded in November 2020, features Jean confronting an employee of Carrabba's Italian Grill, who reportedly engaged in sexually charged conversations with a 14-year-old boy; the encounter has accumulated over 1.5 million views as of 2022.
==== Catches ====
In September 2021, Jean confronted the owner of an ice cream parlor in Carleton, Michigan, said to be a 63-year-old male looking to meet a 14-year-old boy. Following this, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the Violent Internet Predator & Exploitation Response Task Force, began investigating the incident. At the same time, the shop was closed and opened for sale, with graffiti that referenced the events of the meeting. By September 15, detectives executed a search warrant on the suspect's house, later identified as William Minney. He was charged with accosting, enticing, or soliciting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer or the Internet to commit a crime; his cash bond was at $100,000, and he must wear a GPS tether if he posts the bond.
In July 2021, 26-year-old Ian Franklin Machir was encountered by Jean, who he described as a "Chris Hansen wannabe", for allegedly trying to meet with an underage girl. Following the incident, Manchir issued a harassment report to Michigan State Patrol on January 11, 2022, claiming he lost his job and that people were harassing him over the encounter. After he canceled two meetings that month, the police obtained a warrant, searched his home, and seized his phone, arresting him on February 8. Manchir was charged with accosting, enticing, or soliciting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer or the Internet to commit a crime; he received a personal recognizance bond of $25,000.
== Public image ==
A common criticism of Jean is directed at the content; many consider it money-driven instead of bringing awareness to the issues addressed, while prosecutors have similarly taken issue with the trend of content creators looking to face potential predators, believing it hurts the chances of catching them on top of risking their safety and legal issues. During the September 2021 investigation of William Minney, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office advised readers to report suspicious activities to the police instead of dealing with the situations themselves.
Adam Scott Wandit, a professor of Public Policy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, called Jean's videos an act of vigilantism and said that the trend of citizens doing similar deeds is "a problem for our society"; "Under no circumstances should private citizens be doing these online sting operations on their own. The risk far outweighs any benefits". Hansen also found the direction risky, adding, "I think the vast majority of the vigilante predator catchers out there are doing it for cliques and profit, and they're trying to make a name for themselves on YouTube or any other social media platform, just as a comedian is trying to do".
Acknowledging the negative feedback, Jean pointed towards the positive reception he receives, giving more attention to the situations at hand. In a 2023 interview with Inside Edition, he remarked, "As long as these predators are out here trying to meet up with you know, underage girls, I will still be here catching them".
Category:American people
Category:American YouTubers