CSPD arrests man caught in Colorado Ped Patrol video

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Police have arrested 39-year-old Keith Worrall on internet luring of a child, a class four felony. He's accused of trying to meet up with who he thought was a 14-year-old child for sex.

This arrest comes two days after a vigilante group confronted the accused predator, and was denounced by the Colorado Springs Police Department.

On August 9, the civilian group Colorado Ped Patrol caught Worrall attempting to have sex with a minor. Thomas Fellows, who runs the group, had one of his decoys pose as a 14-year-old boy looking for an encounter through the mobile dating app Grindr.

Fellows says the suspect set up a time to have the boy meet at his house, but was greeted by the Colorado Ped Patrol instead.

Police were called, although an arrest was not made that day.

Instead, CSPD told Fellows that the group compromised any investigation detectives might have previously had.

However, according to an arrest affidavit, Colorado Springs police ultimately ended up using evidence Colorado Ped Patrol collected.

In the affidavit, a detective with the CSPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force interviewed Worrall about conversations he had with the civilian group. According to the affidavit, Worrall discussed messages between himself and who he thought was a minor, saying what he would do with the 14-year-old at his home.

CSPD declined to comment on the case but said the department conducted its own independent investigation separate from Ped Patrol.

At the time of the civilian confrontation, police said there was not enough probable cause for an arrest, saying the live-streamed video and chat logs weren't policed Mirandized interviews.

In a live stream to the Colorado Ped Patrol YouTube page, Worrall appeared to admit that he was willingly and knowingly meeting with a minor.

However, in the arrest affidavit, Worrall initially told officers that he "believed the other party to be 18 and asked them twice to confirm this."

According to the Grindr terms and conditions, the app is not to be used by underage people and users must be legal adults. Specifying "no persons under the age of 18 years or 21 years in places where 18 years is not the age of majority may directly or indirectly view, possess, or otherwise use the Grindr services."

Despite that, Fellows says his target knew he was talking to a minor.

"You have to be 18 on that app. Nowhere was it said that we confirmed we were 18, and actually several times we confirmed to him that we were 14," Fellows added.

If convicted, Worrall faces up to six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.