Victor Wells

Victor's Riverside mugshot

**Victor Ray Wells** is an unaired suspected predator featured in the Riverside, California edition of **To Catch a Predator**.

## Biography

49-year-old Victor Wells contacted a Perverted Justice decoy who was posing as a 12-year-old girl named "Beth." From December 18, 2005, to January 7, 2006, Wells had a sexually explicit chat. He questioned whether the dummy was a police officer or a set of parents using a young girl as a prop to catch sexual offenders. He said that because the decoy was under 18, he was unable to speak to her more graphically. Over the coming days, the two talked about a variety of subjects. Wells then offered to pick up the girl when his family wouldn't be present so that he could take pictures of her in a bikini. He claimed to have never encountered someone underage and that just a few had discussed having sex with him.

Wells claimed he wasn't sure if they were actual children or adults posing as kids. He then accused the decoy of being a police officer. After the decoy persuaded him she was not a cop, Wells asked her if she had ever been licked and if she had ever seen a penis. Then he emailed her a photo of his penis. After the decoy claimed she didn't know how to masturbate, Wells explained to her how. Then he asked her to engage in oral sex with him. Wells continued his sexually explicit chat, saying, "after you cum and are all wet down there you get on top of me and rub pussy on my dick." He requested multiple times for naked pictures and continued his sexually graphic chat. The two then set up a meeting.

## Confrontation

Wells brought Wendy's, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and a camera to the sting hose. He made small talk with the decoy before Chris Hansen made himself known. Wells said that he went to the girl's house since she only wanted photos for her profile. Wells said that he was "guessing" that she was "older than 12" when asked how old he believed she was. When she stated her age, he allegedly said he didn't believe her. He claimed that no 12-year-old would use Yahoo! to chat with adults. He claimed that a lot of people in the chat area used phony profile pictures, so he believed the girl's was as well. He stated he didn't believe the girl was 12 was because they were talking on an adult chatroom. He insisted that his only purposes for being there were to bring her lunch and to take pictures of her for her profile. Wells said that it was merely "talk" as Chris continued to read his conversation. Then he acknowledged that he had a son who was 28 and a daughter who was 19 years old. He claimed he made a "bad judgment" call and believed the girl to be older than 18.

Chris said that he repeatedly mentioned the girl's age in the chat. He then acknowledged talking about "personal things" with the girl. Chris continued to read the discussion log as Well maintained his "fantasy" defense. Chris then probed him on the photo he had sent. Wells acknowledged that it was a "personal part" and insisted that he assumed she was of legal age because they were "role-playing." He then went on to say that he had brought a condom but maintained that he always had one on him. While he continued to claim he was unaware that the girl was 12 years old,  Chris lost his temper and pointed out what he had talked about her age in the chatlogs.  Wells reiterated that he believed everything to be "roleplay." Wells remarked that he was "scared straight" because he believed Chris to be a police officer. Chris then confessed that he was actually a news reporter, causing  the cameras to come out and start rolling. Wells then grabs his stuff and leaves the sting house. He is swiftly arrested by Riverside police.

## Behind the scenes

Wells acknowledged using the screen name "victor\_wells2002" and emailing images of his penis to the decoy during his police interview. Wells was originally charged with three felonies: attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age, attempted harmful matter sent with intent of seduction of a minor, and attempted oral copulation with a minor under 14 years of age by force or fear. His bail was set at $50,000 dollars. He tried to fight his case for three years before ultimately pleading guilty during a jury trial in January of 2009 to one felony count of attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age while the other two charges were dropped. Wells was sentenced to 180 days in jail, three years of probation, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and was required to pay a number of fines and restitutions.

In February 2010, Wells filed an appeal on his conviction. He also argued that a condition of his probation had a requirement that forbade him from interacting with any unrelated individual who was on probation or parole was "unconstitutionally broad" and had to be altered to include an "express awareness requirement." He further argued that another condition of his probation was a requirement that he reside in a home that was approved by the probation officer and not to move without permission was overbroad. The appeals court upheld Wells' conviction overall but agreed with him that those two probationary conditions needed to be altered.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://www.leagle.com/decision/incaco20100219032
2. ↑ http://www.perverted-justice.com/booking/bookingcollage.html
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=victor\_wells2002
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://meganslaw.ca.gov/OffenderDisplay.aspx?searchby=offender&ID=46109014M6133&NSOPRFlag=True&x=1362a0fd-068a-45b5-9936-bb1e223827c8
5. ↑ https://dairystatedegenerates.blogspot.com/2020/11/to-catch-predator-update-riverside-part.html