UPDATE 10 P.M.: Las Vegas police are warning against people trying to pose as underage children in order to confront and catch would-be predators.
One YouTube creator says he is doing a service for the community and was inspired by the 2004 show, "To Catch a Predator."
"Chris Hansen, the notorious Chris Hansen has been a big inspiration for us," said "Zurk."
Zurk, 18, who declined to give his last name, and his friend Keen, have spent the past year posing as underage boys to lure older men into a confrontation, much like the show which has since ended.
Their YouTube channel has almost 10,000 followers and viral videos.
Zurk says the confrontation can become heated.
"To be 100% honest with you, it's very, very nerve-racking," explained Zurk.
"In this day and age, we really don't know what people are thinking, what they carry in their car, or carry on their person," added Zurk.
The trap begins online and leads to an arranged meeting location.
Once there, Zurk poses as the underage boy and once the discussion is made about possible sex acts, his partner rushes over with the camera rolling to begin the confrontation.
Keen N Zurk are based out of Ohio and says they have caught at least two teachers looking for sex with underage teens.
Las Vegas police say the trend is happening in Sin City.
A quick search on YouTube shows several videos of people setting up their own stings in order to catch potential child predators.
Police are advising people not to take matters into their own hands and leave it up to authorities.
ORIGINAL STORY
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is warning the local community to not take matters into their own hands when it comes to confronting possible online child predators.
The LVMPD says it has become aware of a number of cases where people are posing as minors on various websites to connect with would-be predators and arranging meet-ups purportedly for sex.
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When the alleged offenders arrive at the location, they are confronted on camera about the online exchange, and the videos are then posted on the internet with the video garnering thousands of views, according to police.
Authorities say a few of the confrontations have become aggressive and there is concern that the situation could escalate to violence.
The LVMPD advised the public to not take such matters on their own and to contact law enforcement if they believe someone is attempting to contact a minor for sexual acts.
Police say the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force in Las Vegas can be contacted at 702-828-3111 or through Crime Stoppers.
