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A Surrey, BC Cop Was Busted During a Live Creep Catchers Sting

The RCMP officer is being investigated for child luring and sexual exploitation.
Surrey Creep Catchers allegedly busted an RCMP officer this week. Photo via Facebook

An RCMP officer in Surrey, BC, has been arrested and suspended after being confronted by Surrey Creep Catchers, a group of vigilante child predator hunters, live on Facebook Wednesday night.

A video posted to Facebook shows Ryan Laforge, president of the Surrey Creep Catchers chapter, walking up to another man just outside of a Boston Pizza.

"Officer Dan, how are you? Creep Catchers," Laforge says to the man, who responds by saying "Fuck!" and running. Laforge follows him, screaming "Surrey Creep Catcher, bitch! That guy's a cop pedo." Other members of Creep Catchers also pursued Laforge on foot.

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Read more: Toronto's Vigilante 'Pedophile Hunters' Look to Turn Legit, Say They're Working with the FBI

Police later showed up and eventually arrested the officer, who is also being investigated criminally for child luring and sexual exploitation, and internally for code of conduct, according to information released at a press conference Friday. Specific charges have not yet been laid.

Assistant Commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr told reporters that if the allegations are true, "There is no room in the RCMP for this kind of behaviour, or this kind of individual." But Insp. Tyler Svendson told The Province newspaper the police "don't condone" creep catching.

Creep Catchers branches have been popping up across the country, including locations like Edmonton, Calgary, Saint John, and Thunder Bay.

In Toronto, vigilante Justin Payne has been confronting people he believes are pedophiles or child sex offenders for the last two years.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.