What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer

That sting was run back in May by Millersville Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor and a colorful cast of characters he assembled for the operation.

Among the revelations, the recordings show:

  • Taylor did not involve other law enforcement agencies with more experience in such operations because of his unfounded conspiracy theories that prominent state officials are involved in child sex trafficking.
  • Members of a private group posed online as minors — despite Millersville police being told by prosecutors that the sting would be legal only if sworn law enforcement officers were the ones doing the work.
  • Shawn Taylor told one operative that investigators would be using “pre-signed search warrants,” which would likely be illegal, according to experts.
  • Police arrested one suspect then, when he refused to talk to investigators, they turned him over to the private group for questioning.
  • A Millersville detective boasted that the suspect was being taken to a jail where it was likely that he might not come out alive.

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240717120405/https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/franklin-politics/disturbing-recordings-from-inside-child-predator-sting-shows-police-maga-operatives-ignoring-laws

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1991·
    7 months ago

    And start whacking some — you know, not to make it political — but whole leftist, corrupt, pedophile, this evil thing that’s taken over Nashville,

    Hmm, yes, it’s the left that need to tone down the rhetoric.

    • gibmiser@lemmy.world
      1091·
      7 months ago

      Let’s see, start from the conclusion that liberals are satanic pedophiles. Use non-law enforcement to identify liberals who must also be pedophiles. Entrap them and use whatever means necessary to take these evil satanic pedophiles off the streets.

      Sure, what could go wrong?

      • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
        6·
        7 months ago

        While I agree with you on how ridiculous everything this person does and believes in, I am not sure how I feel about the “entrapment” part

        While I don’t know the specifics of the entrapment, anyone getting entrapped by pedophile bait should be exposed.

        It’s absolutely ridiculous to believe pedophiles only exist in one political camp, especially with mountains of evidence showing anyone with wealth, power, influence, and status (politicians, police, religious leaders, authority figures) are more likely to be pedophiles. It seems that politically, more Republicans than Democrats are convicted pedophiles, but it’s certainly not one or the other.

        “Hunting pedophiles” rings hollow when you truly believe that anyone who likes the letter R cannot be a pedophile.

    • dumpsterlid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      The FBI already investigate LEO across the country more than a decade ago and found that white supremacists were actively infiltrating our police force. Nothing has been done about this finding.

      White supremacists are “infiltrating” into police forces in the same way I infiltrate into my buddies house… when they specifically invite me over to hang out with them at their house and stand up and come over and hug me with a warm greeting when I show up.

      There is NO sense of infiltration here, rather we are looking at a fresh turd on a hot day (police), and there are flies all over it (white supremacists).