Police: Child luring suspect referenced ‘To Catch a Predator’ show
A Las Vegas man arrested Monday in a child prostitution sting was arrested on identical charges in February, police and court records show.
Armon Hall, 21, was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on felony counts of soliciting a child for prostitution and luring a child for sexual acts. Las Vegas police said in Hall’s arrest report that he was nabbed in an undercover vice sting in which detectives placed advertisements on prostitution websites depicting a teen available for sex in exchange for money.
Police said they then received a text message from a person responding to the ads.
“During this conversation it was disclosed to the sex buyer that the decoy was 15 years old,” police said. “The sex buyer continued to engage in conversation with the decoy after the age was revealed.”
The texter, police said, agreed to meet with the teen for sex in exchange for money. Police said they set up a meeting with the buyer and that Hall showed up for the rendezvous. Hall, police said, also referenced the national TV show “To Catch A Predator” to undercover detectives moments prior to his arrest.
“Once the buyer was in the room, he stated that the decoy did not look like Chris Hanson,” police said. “Chis Hanson is the host of a television show To Catch a Predator where johns that solicit minors for sex are taken into custody by law enforcement.”
Police said after Hall was taken into custody, detectives called the phone number used by the prospective sex buyer and Hall’s phone rang. Police then checked into Hall’s background and learned he’d been arrested by police on Feb. 5, then charged by prosecutors in March with soliciting a child for prostitution and luring a child.
A defense attorney representing Hall declined to comment Thursday.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.