LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Dauphin County man is facing charges after police in Lancaster County claim he attempted to solicit a sexual encounter with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
The "girl" was actually Justin Perry, also known as "Mr. 17540," a vigilante who targets suspected child predators online and livestreams his face-to-face encounters with them after arranging to meet them for what they believe to be a sexual encounter, according to police.
John Tasevoli, 44, of Lower Paxton Township, was charged this week by West Earl Township Police after an investigation of the online confrontation, which occurred on August 11, 2023, at a Sonic restaurant on Oregon Pike.
Perry, who often streams his encounters with people he claims are child predators, posted the confrontation on his Facebook page but did not report it to law enforcement. Police began investigating on April 21, 2024, after discovering the video.
According to police, Tasevoli spent months communicating online with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl but was actually Perry.
The text message conversation between Tasevoli and Perry consisted of Tasevoli sending explicit photographs of himself, and speaking about performing sexual acts with the minor.
Eventually, police claim, Tasevoli agreed to drive from the Harrisburg area to the Sonic in West Earl Township to meet with the "girl," with the intention of having sex.
He instead met Perry, who confronted him in the parking lot while filming the encounter.
Tasevoli is charged with two counts of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16, obscene and other sexual materials, sexual abuse of children, criminal use of a communication facility and corruption of minors.
Police said Tasevoli was served with the warrant at Dauphin County Prison, where he is incarcerated due to unrelated charges in that jurisdiction.
