'Conspiracy-minded' MAGA cop bungles child predator sting operation
Veteran newsman Phil Williams in Tennessee detailed a massive failure by the Millersville Police Department, whose members tried to conduct a sting operation that he reported may have played fast and loose with the law.
Reporting for WTVF News Channel 5 out of Nashville, Williams said that he obtained recordings showing that "conspiracy-minded" cops "may have crossed the line of what's legal" during a "sting" on a child predator ring.
Millersville Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor headed the operation back in May — but he didn't include any other law enforcement agencies in the belief that they would cover up for the government officials whom he thought were involved in the trafficking plot, Williams reported.
Millersville police sought to pose as minors in a private chat group to entrap the predators. However, they also relied on an outside group of sleuths to take part in the operation, which experts say made it illegal given that members of the private group were not sworn law enforcement officials.
What's more, the people who made up this private sting group were far from qualified: Two of the people involved were called "prayer warriors," who believe in a battle against "demons." Another person involved was from North Carolina and has in the past been accused of domestic violence and child abuse, which are allegations she denies, and two MAGA podcasters were also part of the group, according to Williams.
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Taylor has a well-known history of MAGA loyalty and also buys into the so-called "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory started by QAnon members. The false claim alleged that former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats were running a trafficking ring in the basement of a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor.
Listen to the audio recordings here.
See the full report below or at the link here.
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