SHIPPENSBURG, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. - More than 200 pictures of child pornography were allegedly found on a Cumberland County man's phone. Now he will likely face more charges than originally expected. Police were tipped off to him after members of a child predator exposure group set up a meeting with the man.
"We continued to talk, you know he became sexual, saying the things he wanted to do to this child," said Brandi Lehrian, found of South Central PA Child Predator Exposure, as she pretended to be a 15-year-old girl. "And then he brought up about meeting after talking with him for 45 minutes. I met him at the store and kind of just asked him all kinds of questions."
Lehrian's goal is to expose men or women preying on children. She posted the video of their encounter on her group's Facebook page. From there, Mount Holly Springs Police received anonymous tips about Linzey and the video. While Linzey can not be charged for attempting to meet an underage girl at the gas station because it was not a sting set up by police, officers did pay him a visit at his home.
"He said, 'I was expecting you,'" said Ofc. Andrew Wolfe. "So then I just continued the conversation and I asked why and he replied with, 'I was trying to meet up with a 15-year-old to have sex with her."
Court documents show more than 200 images of child pornography were found on Linzey's phone. While he's been charged with child pornography, police are continuing their investigation and it is likely even more charges will be filed in the coming weeks.
Linzey is the first person the Facebook group played a role in getting off the streets. While police advise against the type of work this group does, Lehrian says she has no plans to stop.
"If this predator is talking to one of us decoys, that's one less child they're talking to," said Lehrian. "So ultimately our goal was to get him off the streets."
Lehrian hopes this story does send a reminder to parents to keep an eye out on apps their children use, and who they talk to on social media.
