LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Note: The video is from April 2018.
Police in Lancaster County have charged a 25-year-old Ephrata man with arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex, only to be confronted and recorded on video by a Leola vigilante who was posing as the girl online.
Mervin Wayne Kinsinger was charged last Friday with attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communications facility by West Earl Township Police.
The alleged confrontation between Kinsinger and self-proclaimed child-predator vigilante Justin Perry -- known online as "Mr. 17540" -- occurred on April 28 outside a convenience store on Oregon Pike in West Earl Township, according to the criminal complaint affidavit.
Police began investigating after receiving an email from the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office regarding the confrontation in early May, after Perry posted a video on his Facebook page.
Perry said he created a fake profile on the video-sharing mobile app TikTok after receiving a tip about Kinsinger's alleged interest in juvenile girls.
Kinsinger allegedly told police in an interview that he was famous on the app, claiming he had 52,000 followers.
Perry's online alter-ego had been exchanging text messages with Kinsinger for about a month before arranging a meeting, he said in the roughly nine-minute video posted on his YouTube page.
When confronted by Perry, Kinsinger is seen claiming he "was just going to give (the girl) a carriage ride," but later acknowledged a sexual interest in the girl.
Kinsinger later claimed in the video that he did not intend to go through with it.
In the video, Kinsinger also took Perry to his buggy and showed him alcoholic beverages he intended to give the girl.
Police also recovered text messages between Kinsinger and Perry while he was acting in the guise of a juvenile girl, according to the complaint.
In the texts, Kinsinger allegedly says "we could do it in my carriage," telling her "it would be a little tight but we could make it work."
Kinsinger also tells the girl she must "promise and pinky promise you will not report me" should they engage in any sex acts.
In an interview with police, Kinsinger allegedly admitted to texting with the "girl" and said he knew her age at the time. The text messages quickly turned sexual, Kinsinger said, though he "would not have forced her to have sex if she didn't want to."
Kinsinger also admitted to purchasing condoms and alcohol for the encounter, according to police.
During the confrontation with Perry at the convenience store on April 28, Kinsinger told police he knew that he had been tricked, the complaint states. Kinsinger said he was truthful with Perry, but was cautious because he believed Perry "wanted to start a fight with him."